Congress feels there’s a long way to go for May 7

Congress leaders in the city were left on tenterhooks evening after the party’s Central Election Committee (CEC) put off a decision on its Lok Sabha candidates in Delhi. Anuradha Mukherjee reports.

Congress leaders in the city were left on tenterhooks on Tuesday evening after the party’s Central Election Committee (CEC) put off a decision on its Lok Sabha candidates in Delhi.

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The party leadership apparently felt it was too early to declare the list since Delhi goes to the polls on May 7.

“No decision was taken and the CEC will probably decide the list for Delhi in April first week again,” said a senior Congress leader.

However, rumours were rife in Congress ranks that candidates for at least two parliamentary seats had been approved, but the decision would be kept under wraps till BJP showed its cards.

“There were some reports that the names of two candidates — Ajay Maken and Krishna Tirath — were cleared by the CEC before it decided to discontinue the process for Delhi. Maken could contest from New Delhi seat and Tirath from Northwest Delhi,” said a party source.

With the announcement of candidates deferred, intense lobbying has begun for seats.

Tirath’s name prompted another hopeful from the reserved category — MLA Jai Kishan — to vie for the Northwest Delhi ticket.

South Delhi seat hopeful Balram Tanwar is also planning to turn up at Delhi state Congress chief Jai Prakash Aggarwal’s residence on Wednesday to seek a ticket on behalf of Gujjar voters.