New Delhi: The Congress is expected to name professional boxer Vijender Singh, the Beijing Olympic Games bronze medallist, as its candidate for the South Delhi constituency.
The Congress Monday declared six of its seven candidates for Delhi, leaving out just South Delhi.
“His (Singh’s) candidature has been finalised by Congress president Rahul Gandhi. We are sure he will be able to win the seat,” said a senior Congress leader. “We wanted to field a celebrity and at the same time, someone whom the people will be able to relate to.”
According to sources, the party is confident that Singh will attract voters in the South Delhi constituency, which neighbours Haryana and has a number of Jat and Gurjar voters.
South Delhi is essentially a rural constituency with a number of villages. It is currently represented by the BJP’s Ramesh Bidhuri. The Congress had contemplated fielding Ramesh Kumar, who had earlier contested from here but appears to have decided against it.
The party had also been looking at fielding wrestler Sushil Kumar from the national capital but that did not materialise.
Congress names list
The Congress, which had been holding talks with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for a possible alliance in the national capital, has now decided to go solo.
Three-time Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit and former state unit chief Ajay Maken are among the six Lok Sabha candidates that the party announced for Delhi Monday morning.
The Congress has decided to field Dikshit from the North East Delhi constituency, Mahabal Mishra from West Delhi, Arvinder Singh Lovely from East Delhi, Ajay Maken from New Delhi, Jai Prakash Agarwal from Chandni Chowk and Rajesh Lilothia from North West Delhi.
In North East Delhi, Dikshit has been pitted against her BJP counterpart, state unit chief Manoj Tiwari, and AAP’s Dilip Pandey.
All the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi are held by the BJP. The national capital votes on 12 May.
Also read: Congress goes solo in Delhi, names Sheila Dikshit among candidates but leaves one seat out
As the columnist has been explaining, the Congress leadership is deferring to local units who have to prepare for Assembly elections. Haryana in October this year, Delhi next February, Punjab is about four years away. Singly or collectively, it may well be in the party’s long term interest not to enter into an alliance with AAP. If that was a considered decision, the dialogue ought to have been terminated in good time, not stretched out till the end, making it appear as if AAP is a supplicant. 2. This is not an ordinary election. Left to its own devices, the Congress could have started preparing for 2024. The outcome altering alliances and efforts are taking place in Lucknow, Calcutta, Chennai. Going beyond numbers and portfolios, a number of regional leaders would be justified in telling the Congress, You need us more than we need you. At such a moment in India’s history, more / better is expected from the Congress.