Buzz about Congress candidates for Delhi, party may finalize list by Feb 20

New Delhi, Jan 29 (IANS) The Congress is expected to announce its candidates for Lok Sabha seats in Delhi by February 20 with names doing the rounds in party circles on all the seven seats though it has not formally closed the door for seat adjustment with the Aam Aadmi Party.

The names of former Union minister Ajay Maken, Delhi Mahila Congress chief Sharmistha Mukherjee, AICC Grievance Cell chief Archana Dalmia and party secretary Manish Chatrath are doing the rounds for the New Delhi seat.

For West Delhi, the party may again field former MP Mahabal Mishra and former MLA Devender Yadav. In North East Delhi, former MP J. P. Agarwal could be put up again. In the East Delhi seat, the names doing the rounds include former Delhi minister Arvinder Singh Lovely and former MP Sandeep Dikshit.

For Chandani Chowk, the name doing the rounds are those of former Delhi minister Haroon Yusuf and former Union minister Kapil Sibal. However, Sibal is a Rajya Sabha MP and may not contest.

In North West Delhi, which is a reserved seat, the names doing the rounds are those of fomer Delhi Minister Raj Kumar Chauhan and Rajesh Lilothia.

In South Delhi, the names doing the rounds are of former MP Sajjan Kumar's brother Ramesh Kumar, his son Jag Pravesh Kumar besides Sharmishta Mukherjee.

Rajesh Lilothia, Devender Yadav and Haroon Yusuf were appointed Delhi unit's Working Presidents earlier this month along with former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit who was appointed the Delhi unit chief.

A senior party leader told IANS that the names of party candidates are expected to be finalised by February 20 for the coming Lok Sabha elections.