LS polls: Congress replaces Jaipur candidate Sunil Sharma after controversy

The Congress on Sunday (March 24) replaced its Jaipur candidate Sunil Sharma with former minister Pratap Singh Khachriyawas for the Lok Sabha elections.

Sharma's candidature had kicked up a row because of his association as Director with The Jaipur Dialogues, a right-wing digital platform. The social media platforms of The Jaipur Dialogues were infamous for peddling hate and also mocking Congress leaders, particularly Rahul Gandhi.

After the controversy over his candidature broke out, Sharma had said he was not associated in any way with the social media platforms of Jaipur Dialogues and that though he was one of the directors of the organisation of the same name, he had dissociated himself from the organisation quite some time back.

"I am in no way related to the Jaipur dialogues YouTube channel or Twitter handle. This is completely fake news and false propaganda being floated to diminish the prospects of the Congress Party," Sharma had posted on X (Twitter) on Saturday (March 23).

Soon after Sharma was replaced as Lok Sabha candidate, The Jaipur Dialogues said Congress was "scared" of the outfit. "Jaipur Dialogues Ka Jalwa. Congress changes the Jaipur ticket due to Jaipur Dialogues. Congress Scared of Jaipur Dialogues!" it wrote on X with the Congress's official candidates list.

The party has also finally decided to field incumbent MLA Pratibha Dhanorkar from the Chandrapur constituency in Maharashtra. Dhanorkar is the widow of late Suresh Balubhai Dhanorkar, a Kunbi leader who in 2019 was the only Congress candidate to have won from Maharashtra.