Takeaways from Congress 3rd Lok Sabha list: Dynasts, turncoats in; Amethi, Raebareli still out

The Congress on Thursday released its third list of Lok Sabha elections, fielding its leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury once again from Baharampur and veteran leader and former Rajya Sabha MP Pradip Bhattacharya from Kolkata Uttar in West Bengal. The list of 57 has the names of the kin of many Congress leaders and several turncoats.

While the list did not have the names of candidates from Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, sources said party veteran and Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh would enter the fray from Rajgarh in Madhya Pradesh and former Madhya Pradesh Congress president Arun Yadav would contest from Guna against Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.

कांग्रेस अध्यक्ष श्री <a href=«https://twitter.com/kharge?ref_src=» https: class="" rel=«nofollow, noopener» target="_blank">@kharge

की अध्यक्षता में आयोजित ‘केंद्रीय चुनाव समिति’ की बैठक में लोकसभा चुनाव, 2024 के लिए 57 लोकसभा सीटों पर कांग्रेस उम्मीदवारों के नाम की तीसरी लिस्ट जारी की गई। pic.twitter.com/7TMkx4faZ4

— Congress (@INCIndia) <a href=«https://twitter.com/INCIndia/status/1770839346016305189?ref_src=» https: class="" rel=«nofollow, noopener» target="_blank">March 21, 2024

In Uttar Pradesh, state Congress president Ajay Rai may contest from Varanasi against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Imran Masood from Saharanpur, Congress veteran P L Punia’s son Tanuj Punia from Barabanki, and Danish Ali from Amroha.

The party has yet to decide on Amethi and Raebareli despite the Uttar Pradesh leadership of the party pushing for the candidatures of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, respectively. A section of the party leadership argues the Gandhi siblings are not keen to contest from Amethi and Raebareli. Another section believes it is mere posturing by the