Lok Sabha polls: Congress finalises some candidates for 4 states including Punjab, HP

The Congress concluded the selection of Lok Sabha candidates from Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Delhi during a meeting of the party's Central Election Committee held in New Delhi on Saturday (April 13).

The CEC meeting for Himachal Pradesh was attended by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, and AICC general secretary K C Venugopal.

Himachal Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, deputy chief minister Mukesh Agnihotri, Pradesh Congress Chief Pratibha Singh, and AICC in-charge Rajeev Shukla, were the others present in the meeting.

The Haryana CEC was attended, besides the top party leaders, by PCC chief Uday Bhan, ex-CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Randeep Surjewala, and Kumari Selja.

Hooda fielded from Rohtak

A source from the party said the name of Deepinder Singh Hooda was finalised from the Rohtak Lok Sabha seat.

The party finalised two candidates from Himachal, one of whom was Vikramaditya Singh, whose name was mooted for Mandi Lok Sabha constituency to contest against BJP's Kangana Ranaut, the person said.

Pratibha Singh said the recommended names have been left to the party high command to decide.

"All senior leaders believe that this time a young leader should be fielded from Mandi Lok Sabha seat and there is consensus on the name of Vikramaditya Singh," she said.

Agnihotri said it has been decided to announce two candidates first, and the remaining two later.

"We have decided that we will field our MLAs too," he told reporters.

Shukla said, during the meeting, they discussed the strategy of the party on how to win all four seats in Himachal Pradesh.

"We have decided on two candidates, while for the remaining two seats, discussions are on," he said.

Congress Punjab president Amrinder Raja Warring said the party has finalised names for seven to eight seats and they will be announced soon.

"Today’s CEC meeting at @INCIndia HQ was very productive. Our candidates for about 7-8 seats have been finalised & will be announced soon. Each & Every punjabi is mentally prepared to eradicate @narendramodi hate politics & will vote for INC in #ParliamentaryElection2024," he wrote in a post on X.

(With agency inputs)