Congress finalizes Digvijay Singh’s Lok Sabha seat in key poll body meeting

Congress veteran Digvijaya Singh to contest from Rajgarh (File Photo)

New Delhi:

Sources said the Congress Party’s Central Election Committee (CEC) held a meeting in Delhi on Thursday to finalize the candidature of senior leader Digvijaya Singh from Madhya Pradesh’s Rajgarh Lok Sabha seat.

During the meeting, the party’s Uttar Pradesh unit told the panel that the people of Amethi and Rabareili wanted members of the Gandhi family to contest from there.

The Central Election Commission, chaired by party president Mallikarjun Kharge, met here to finalize candidates for the Lok Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

Sources said the candidatures of Digvijaya Singh from Rajgarh, Arun Yadav from Guna and Kantilal Briya from Ratlam are in the Center The decision was finalized at a state meeting attended by state president Jitu Patwari and AICC general secretary Jitendra Singh, who is in charge of the state.

Additionally, the panel discussed candidates for the politically crucial state of Uttar Pradesh for the first time.

When asked about the Amitsi and Rabarei seats, Congress president Ajay Rai said after the meeting: “We have given suggestions that members of the Gandhi family should contest from Amitsi and Rabareili because This is the demand of the people there. Now, the situation has been determined.” It is left to the party leadership to decide. ” There are speculations that apart from his declared Wayanad seat in Kerala, Rahul Gandhi may also contest from Amitsi while Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is from Rai Bareilly , the seat was previously held by Sonia Gandhi. Both seats in UP are considered to be bastions of the Gandhi family and the local unit of Congress has asked two descendants of the Gandhi family to contest from there.

Digvijaya Singh will contest from Rajgarh, while Yadav will face Union minister and former Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia) competition.

When asked about the finalization of candidates in Madhya Pradesh, Mr. Patwari said: “We had said that we will offer more than 50 per cent tickets to youth. We kept this in mind and took the decision unanimously. It will be announced tonight or tomorrow.” Asked about Digvijaya Singh’s candidature, he said: “All the big leaders who have a chance to win are in the race.” Digvijaya Digvijaya Singh had contested elections from Bhopal in 2019 but lost to Pragya Singh Thakur.

UP Congress president Rai, MP Congress president Patwari and J&K unit chief Vikar Rasool Wani attended the meetings held in their respective states. Additionally, AICC state chiefs Avinash Pande (UP), Jitendra Singh (MP) and Bharatsinh Solanki are also discussing candidates from their respective states Shi also attended the meeting.

Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, party general secretary Venugopal and other members of the expert group attended the Central Executive Committee meeting.

However, panellist Rahul Gandhi did not attend.

This is the third consecutive day that the Central Executive Committee of the Congress is meeting.

The Central Election Commission on Wednesday considered candidates from Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan.

The Congress party has so far announced 82 candidates in two lists for the seven-phase Lok Sabha polls starting from April 19.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)