Congress fields Sharma from Kangra; no word yet on Amethi, Rae Bareli
The Congress on Tuesday fielded former Union minister Anand Sharma from Kangra in Himachal Pradesh and former MP Raj Babbar from Gurgaon in Haryana, as it released a list of four candidates, even as party workers waited for the announcement on Amethi and Rae Bareli – the two constituencies in Uttar Pradesh that are closely associated with the Gandhis.
The Congress on Tuesday fielded former Union minister Anand Sharma from Kangra in Himachal Pradesh and former MP Raj Babbar from Gurgaon in Haryana, as it released a list of four candidates, even as party workers waited for the announcement on Amethi and Rae Bareli – the two constituencies in Uttar Pradesh that are closely associated with the Gandhis.
Sharma (71) will be fighting his first Lok Sabha elections from Kangra after serving four terms in the Rajya Sabha. He retired from the Upper House in 2022 and was not renominated by the party. He was one of the key faces of the rebel or now defunct G23 group that had sought organisational reforms in the party.
“It is the Pranab Mukherjee moment for Sharma. Mukherjee (the late Indian president) was in the Rajya Sabha for five terms before he won a Lok Sabha election from West Bengal (Jangipur seat) in 2004. Similarly, Sharma has got his chance now,” a senior Congress Rajya Sabha MP said, seeking anonymity.
Babbar, who started his political career with the Janata Dal, moved to the Samajwadi Party before joining the Congress in 2008. He was a three-term Lok Sabha MP and two-term Rajya Sabha member. A former Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee chief, he was earlier elected to Parliament from Agra and Firozabad seats.
According to party functionaries aware of the details, Babbar’s candidature was backed by former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda amid opposition by another section of party leaders.
“This (Babbar’s candidature) shows the clout of Hooda in Haryana (where assembly elections are due to be held later this year). If we want to win Haryana, we have no other option,” a senior Congress leader said, also on condition of anonymity.
Besides Sharma and Babbar, the Congress announced the candidature of Satpal Raizada from Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh and Bhushan Patil, one of the vice presidents of the party’s Mumbai unit from Mumbai North.
The grand old party, however, is yet to announce the candidates from Amethi and Rae Bareli, where the last date of filing nominations is May 3 and voting is on May 20.
A senior leader, who recently met party leader Rahul Gandhi, said the latter smiled when he was informed that all eyes are on the Congress candidates in these two seats.
The BJP has fielded Union women and child development minister Smriti Irani from Amethi, where she defeated Rahul Gandhi during the 2019 general elections. Reports suggest the party may field its Pilibhit lawmaker Varun Gandhi from Rae Bareli.
Last week, members of the Congress’s Central Election Commission (CEC) unanimously supported a proposal moved by the party’s Uttar Pradesh in-charge Avinash Pandey to field Rahul Gandhi and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi from Amethi and Rae Bareli, respectively, according to two members of the poll panel.
While former chief Sonia Gandhi did not say a word, the decision on Amethi and Rae Bareli have been left to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge by the CEC, the two members said.
In the run up to the polls, Rahul Gandhi has said at least twice that he will abide by the party’s decision. Priyaka Gandhi has so far maintained complete silence on her electoral prospects.
The Congress is fighting on 17 of the 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh as part of its alliance with the Samajwadi Party. It has announced the names of the remaining 15 candidates.