INDIA VOTES 2024; Three parties, 2-way contest in Capital

Anshita Mehra

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New Delhi, April 15

The Congress announced its candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Delhi, presenting a blend of fresh faces and seasoned politicians.

Among the prominent names is former JNU students’ union president Kanhaiya Kumar for North East Delhi, and former MPs Jai Prakash Agarwal and Udit Raj for Chandni Chowk and North West Delhi, respectively.

Kumar gained national attention following his arrest in 2016 for allegedly raising “anti-national” slogans, for which he was later released after an investigation revealed that the slogans were raised by outsiders. Kumar, 37, will be contesting from the North East Delhi constituency against BJP’s incumbent MP Manoj Tiwari.

Kumar’s political journey began with the Communist Party of India (CPI) fielding him from Bihar’s Begusarai in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, where he lost to Union Minister Giriraj Singh. He joined the Congress in 2021, and his candidature in North East Delhi adds an interesting dimension to the electoral battle, especially given the significant Poorvanchali population in the constituency.

Meanwhile, the Congress has fielded senior leader Jai Prakash Agarwal from the Chandni Chowk constituency. Agarwal, 79, is a veteran Congress leader who previously represented Chandni Chowk in the Lok Sabha in 1984, 1989, and 1996. He will be pitted against BJP’s Praveen Khandelwal, the secretary of the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT).

Lastly, Udit Raj, a former Indian Revenue Service officer who quit his bureaucratic career to form the Indian Justice Party, has been fielded by the party in the North West Delhi constituency. Raj, who had previously won once as a BJP MP in 2014, joined the Congress in 2019 after resigning from the BJP. He will be contesting against BJP’s Yogendra Chandolia.

With the announcement of these candidates, the electoral battleground in Delhi is all set.