Congress Intensifies Election Campaign: 7 More Candidates Announced, Tally Reaches 61

The Indian National Congress is ramping up its offensive for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, having just unveiled a fresh roster of seven new candidates. This latest declaration pushes the party's total count of announced nominees to an impressive 61, signaling an intensifying electoral battle across the nation.

Among the newly named candidates, five hail from the electorally significant state of Karnataka.

These include M R Raghava, who will be contesting from Chikkaballapur; K Rajashekar Hitnal, set to represent Koppal; and Raju Algur, who has been nominated for Bijapur. Furthermore, M Lakshman will vie for the Mysore seat, while Radhakrishna Doddamani is slated to contest from Gulbarga. These strategic choices underscore the Congress's focused efforts to consolidate its position in the southern state.

Adding to the list, two candidates have been announced for Telangana.

Gaddam Vamsi Krishna will be the Congress torchbearer from Peddapalle, and Kadiyam Kavya is poised to contest from Warangal. Kavya's nomination is particularly noteworthy, as she recently made a high-profile switch from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) to the Congress, a move that is expected to significantly impact the political dynamics in her constituency.

This latest announcement follows previous lists that have already seen several political heavyweights and prominent figures declared as candidates.

Rahul Gandhi, a key face of the Congress, is set to contest from Wayanad in Kerala, while veteran leader Shashi Tharoor will defend his seat in Thiruvananthapuram. Other notable names from earlier lists include K C Venugopal from Alappuzha (Kerala), Deepak Singh from Rae Bareli (Uttar Pradesh), and D K Suresh from Bangalore Rural (Karnataka).

The Congress's candidate selection process reflects its broader strategy for the 2024 general elections.

While pushing forward with its own nominees, the party is also engaged in crucial alliance discussions, notably with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for seats in Delhi, Gujarat, and Haryana. This two-pronged approach aims to maximize its electoral footprint and present a united front against its principal rivals.

As the election fervour grows, these candidate announcements are vital indicators of the strategic pathways each party is forging.