Highlights: Rahul Gandhi to fight Lok Sabha polls from Wayanad, Amethi seat uncertain

Former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupsesh Baghel and former deputy CM of Rajasthan Sachin Pilot have been asked to contest the Lok Sabha polls.

Congress Lok Sabha poll list LIVE Updates: Congress leader Sachin Pilot said, "It was a good discussion. Discussion was held on all the seats. As soon as CEC decides, you will be told. Whatever decision is taken AICC will brief..."

Congress Lok Sabha poll list LIVE Updates: Shashi Tharoor to contest Thiruvananthapuram seat against BJP's Rajeev Chandrasekhar in 2024 Lok Sabha Election.

Congress CEC meeting LIVE Updates: According to sources, candidates for Uttar Pradesh were not decided in the meeting. Thus, it is unclear if Gandhi will not contest for 2nd seat as Amethi.

In the 2019 general elections, he was defeated in his long-time bastion of Amethi by Smriti Irani.

Rahul Gandhi to fight Lok Sabha polls from Wayanad, Congress's poll body decides

Telangana chief minister Revanth Reddy reached the party headquarters to attend the CEC (Central Election Committee) meeting of the Congress, in New Delhi.

Congress CEC meeting LIVE Updates: Only 7 seats of Telangana cleared. The remaining seats will be taken up in the Congress screening committee meeting on Thursday.

Congress CEC meeting LIVE Updates: Rahul Gandhi has joined the meeting via Zoom.

7 states of North East, Kerala, Telangana, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh and Delhi seats are being discussed.

The top leadership of the Congress is attending a meeting in the national capital on Thursday to finalise the party's candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chief Sonia Gandhi and general secretary, organisation, K C Venugopal, as well as other senior leaders who are part of the Congress' Central Election Committee (CEC) were present at the meeting.

Congress CEC meeting LIVE Updates: The crucial meeting to select candidates for the Lok Sabha polls has commenced at AICC headquarters in New Delhi.

Congress MLA Irfan Ansari showed his desire to contest Lok Sabha elections from Jharkhand’s Godda Lok Sabha constituency.

“There could be no better candidate than Furkan Ansari from Godda Lok Sabha constituency, but I would request the party’s high command to consider me as a contender as well. I have expressed my desire to contest for Lok Sabha elections from Godda and I am sure that I will be able to defeat Nishikant Dubey (sitting BJP MP).”

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said that the Congress will not get more than 30 to 40 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and post elections there will be a decline of the grand old party.

Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra entered Gujarat from neighbouring Rajasthan on Thursday and the Congress leader was welcomed by local leaders and workers of his party as well as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The yatra reached Jhalod town of Dahod district in Gujarat from Rajasthan around 4.45 pm.

Congress CEC meeting LIVE Updates: On Lok Sabha elections and his Parliamentary constituency Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala), Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said, "First, it is a three-cornered contest because the Communists have already named their candidate. Don't forget that I took the seat from the Communist Party and the gentleman who is the candidate now, was the sitting MP when I came into the fray. He did not contest again at that time and it has now been 15 years that he is out of the fray...BJP has come second in the last two Lok Sabha elections. So, they have to be taken seriously...I am hoping it will be a fair and gentlemanly electoral contest. I don't think that I have needed, in my 15 years in politics, to ever attack any of my critics. I welcome them all, I welcome the opponents. Let the public decide who they want to represent them in Delhi."

ANI

Congress CEC meeting LIVE Updates: If Congress is voted power in the Lok Sabha elections, 30 lakh vacant government posts will be filled and a law would be enacted to curb government recruitment examination question paper leaks, Rahul Gandhi said addressing a gathering during his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.

Congress CEC meeting LIVE Updates: BJP on Saturday announced the first list of 195 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha election.

Read here: BJP Lok Sabha 2024 candidates: Check full list of 195 names here

Congress CEC meeting LIVE Updates: The core of the Congress draft manifesto centres around the "Paanch-nyay" (five pillars of justice) pledged by the Congress during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra led by Rahul Gandhi, according to sources.

The party's manifesto is set to emphasise a legal guarantee for the minimum support price and advocate for a caste-based census to fill government vacancies. Additionally, it is expected to prioritise welfare measures, including financial assistance to marginalised sections of society, ensuring their access to justice, and their inclusion in state welfare initiatives.

Congress CEC meeting LIVE Updates: In the run-up to Lok Sabha polls, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi promises a legal guarantee on MSP to farmers, social security for gig workers and ₹5,000 cr fund for startups, if voted into power.

Congress CEC meeting LIVE Updates: “The first meeting of INC India Central Election Committee(CEC) that considers and decides on candidates for Lok Sabha polls is being held at 6pm on March 7,” said Jairam Ramesh.