Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Congress Likely To Field Former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel From Rajnandgaon

Former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel will reportedly contest in Lok Sabha elections from the state's Rajnandgaon seat.

Former Chhattisgarh CM and Congress Leader Bhupesh Baghel ( Image Source :PTI )

As the BJP has announced its first list of candiates of around 200 party leaders for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Congress too is expected to announce its first batch of candidates later this week. Congress will likely field former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel from Rajnandgaon seat for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

According to sources, former Home Minister Tamradhwaj Sahu and State Congress President Deepak Baij will likely contest from Durg and Bastar respectively.

Congress's screening for Chhattisgarh seats for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections has reportedly ended. The approval for the same will be talken in the Central Election Committee meeting of the grand old party, which is scheduled to be held on March 7.

BJP had already released its candidate list of all the 11 seats in Chhattisgarh. The saffron party has fielded Santosh Pandey as its candidate for Rajnandgaon Lok Sabha seat. BJP has fielded Vijay Baghel from Durg and Mahesh Kashyap from Bastar.  

The first CEC meeting is expected to take up lists of candidates for Telangana, Kerala, and Chhattisgarh. After the two crucial meetings of the Working Committee and the CEC, the party will also likely release its election manifesto, Indian Express reported. 

According to Indian Express's report, a senior leader stated that the central screening committees have finalised candiates for Lok Sabha seats in most of the states. The CEC will deliberate on the candiates list prepared by the screening committees before taking a final call. 

“Our screening committees have been working rigorously since January to zero in on possible candidates. We are much ahead of the BJP. The high command has held meetings with all state leaders and Pradesh Congress Committees (PCC). It is probably for the first time that the party made such efforts to close all gaps,” Indian Express quoted the senior leader saying.

CEC will reportedly consider a survey report on the performance rating of sitting MPs in various states by poll strategist Sunil Kanugolu. The strategist's report has given a negative rating to atleast four sitting MPs in Kerala but has recommended 15 sitting MPs including Rahul Gandhi.