Congress to release third Lok Sabha candidate list? Meeting held by Sonia Gandhi, Kharge

The Congress party convened its Central Election Committee (CEC) gathering at its New Delhi headquarters on Tuesday. At the session, news agency ANI citing informed sources said, the party concluded the selection of candidates for 12 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal.

Meanwhile, party leader Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa stated, "We will convene another meeting tomorrow." He mentioned that the criteria for candidate selection remain unchanged. Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah also affirmed, "Tomorrow, we will disclose our list of candidates."

Siddaramaiah's remark followed the Congress Central Election Committee (CEC) gathering in Delhi on Tuesday. Karnataka contributes 28 members to the Lok Sabha. West Bengal has 42 Lok Sabha seats. Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress had announced candidates for all seats on March 10 even thoughthe Congress and TMC are both part of the opposition's INDIA bloc.

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The Congress party unveiled candidates for 82 out of the total 543 Lok Sabha seats. In its initial roster on March 8, the party disclosed 39 candidates, including prominent figures like Rahul Gandhi, DK Suresh, and Shashi Tharoor. Subsequently, the second list, released on March 12, featured names such as Gaurav Gogoi, Nakul Nath, and Vaibhav Gehlot.

Working committee meeting for poll manifesto approval

Earlier in the day, the Congress convened a session of its Working Committee, the apex decision-making body, to deliberate and sanction the party's manifesto for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Apart from ex-party heads Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, senior figures like Ambika Soni, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, P Chidambaram, Digvijaya Singh, Ajay Maken, and Kumari Selja were also present at the gathering.

"The Congress Working Committee (CWC) today extensively discussed the Congress Manifesto for 2024 elections. Since 1926, the Congress Party’s Manifesto has stood as a testament to trust and commitment," the party said in a post on X.

Following the meeting, Kharge tweeted, "The 5 pillars of #BharatJodoNyayYatra -Kisan Nyay, Yuva Nyay, Naari Nyay, Shramik Nyay and Hissedari Nyay have 5 guarantees each." He added, "Right from 1926, Congress Party’s Manifesto has been regarded as a "document of trust and commitment."

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The national Lok Sabha Elections are set to take place in seven phases starting from April 19. On April 19, the first phase of voting will take place, covering 102 parliamentary constituencies. Subsequently, the second phase, including 89 constituencies, will be held on April 26, followed by the third phase with 94 constituencies on May 7.

The voting for the fourth phase, covering 96 seats, is slated for May 13, followed by the fifth phase for 49 seats on May 20. On May 25, the sixth phase will see polling for 57 parliamentary constituencies, while the seventh and final phase, encompassing another 57 seats, is scheduled for June 1. The results will be announced on June 4.

(With inputs from agencies)