The Congress` Central Election Committee held a meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday to finalise candidates for the Lok Sabha 2024 elections. The party deliberated upon the seats it could contest in West Bengal in view of a tie-up with the Left parties, reported news wire PTI.

As per PTI report, the meeting of the Central Election Committee (CEC) headed by party president Mallikarjun Kharge was held at the Congress` headquarters. The committee finalised more than 30 candidates from the states of Karnataka, Telangana, Chandigarh and West Bengal, besides candidates for assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh and Sikkim.

Discussion on candidates for seats in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, among others, is likely to be taken up on Wednesday. Discussions were held on seats in north and central West Bengal and it was deliberated which seats would be suitable for the Left and which ones for the Congress, on the criteria of winnability, reported PTI quoting sources.

The Congress has so far announced 82 candidates for the seven-phase Lok Sabha 2024 elections. There is no clarity on the seat-sharing the Congress will have with the INDIA bloc parties. 

They said the two sitting Congress Lok Sabha members from West Bengal — Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury from Behrampore and Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury from Maldaha Dakshin — are likely to be the party`s candidates from the two seats.

The meeting of the CEC headed by Kharge was attended by former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Congress general secretary KC Venugopal and other members of the panel. Rahul Gandhi, who is also a member of the panel, was not present during the meeting.

The INDIA bloc-led by Congress on Sunday held a public rally in Mumbai after the conclusion of Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.

The elections will be conducted between April 19 to June 1 and the results will be declared on June 4.

(With PTI inputs)

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