Former MP and newly appointed Congress campaign committee chairman Ajay Maken is likely to contest from Sadar Bazar Assembly constituency while former Delhi Government Minister Prof Kiran Walia from New Delhi Assembly constituency. Former Delhi Assembly speaker Dr Yoganand Shastri is likely to contest from Malviya Nagar. The second list of Congress is expected to be announced by Wednesday.
Two-time Parliamentarian from the New Delhi seat, Maken has not only served in different capacities in former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit’s Cabinet, but was also Union Minister of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s team.
Sources said the former Delhi Minister Prof Kiran Walia, who had earlier contested from Malviya Nagar, is likely to contest against AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal in the high-profile New Delhi seat. Kejriwal had defeated Dikshit by a margin of over 25,000 votes in the last Assembly poll. The party is likely to field former Speaker and ex-Minister Yoganand Shastri from Malviya Nagar.
Former Speaker and a veteran Dalit leader Chaudhary Prem Singh, who had decided not to contest, is all set to be the Congress candidate in the reserved Ambedkar Nagar seat. Former Delhi Ministers Ramakant Goswami and Mangat Ram Singhal have reportedly not being considered from their Rajinder Nagar and Adarsh Nagar respective seats.
Former MP Mahabal Mishra, a veteran Purvanchal leader, will be the party’s face in Dwarka. Mishra’s son Vinay, who had contested earlier from Palam, is reportedly being replaced by local leader
Madan Mohan Dass. Delhi Commission for Women Barkha Singh is reportedly being replaced by Uttaranchal leader leela Dhar Bhat in RK Puram.
Congress is also likely to field senior BJP leader and ex-Minister Jagdish Mukhi’s son-in-law Suresh Kumar from the Janakpuri seat. BSP leader Madan Mohan Das, who had secured about 24,000 in the last elections, is likely be the Congress candidate from Palam. Outgoing Independent MlA Rambir Shokeen’s wife Reeta is likely to be the party candidate from Mundka.
Congress has already announced its list of 24 candidates for the 70-member Assembly. Congress in-charge of Delhi affairs PC Chacko said the list of remaining candidates would be officially announced on Wednesday. The first list included the names of nine outgoing MlAs.
Sources said that the majority of the candidates selected in the second list are those who had secured about 20 per cent votes in the last elections. Only Vijay Singh lochav, who had secured less than 20 per cent votes, is likely to be fielded again from Bijwasan.
The party is likely to announce the names of about 30 new candidates in the second list. The new faces likely to figure in the second list are President Pranab Mukherjee’s daughter Sharmishtha from Greater Kailash, leader of the Opposition in MCD (North) Mukesh Goyal from Adarsh Nagar, former BSP candidate Haji Dilshad from Babarpur, Sikh leader Hardeep Singh from Moti Nagar, Pradesh Congress Committee general secretary CP Mittal from Hari Nagar, ex-mayor Satbir Singh from Mehrauli, Independent councillor Bansi lal from Krishna Nagar, local leader Raj Bahadur Chauhan from Tilak Nagar, former Delhi Youth Congress chief Brahm Yadav from Rajinder Nagar, ex-block president Rajesh Chauhan from Deoli, local leader Chaman lal Sharma from Shakurbasti, former MlA Zile Singh Chauhan from Burari, ex-councillor Vishnu Aggarwal from Sangam Vihar, councillor Praveen Kumar from Narela, councillor Sandeep Tanwar from Delhi Cantonment, ex-MlA Brahm Pal from Trilokpuri, Independent candidate Satanpal Daima from Karawal Nagar, businessman Sulekh Aggarwal from Shalimar Bagh, former Metro editor of an English daily Pratyush Kanth from Kirari, ex-Youth Congress president Jagdish Yadav from Rithala, former MlA Roop Chand’s daughter Rinku from Gokalpuri, local leader Sachin Bidhuri from Tughlakabad, former DPCC general secretary Sukhbir Sharma from Rohini and former Congress district president Jai Kishen Sharma from Najafgarh.