The Congress party has announced its candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections. Among the key matchups is the contest between Vikramaditya Singh, son of Himachal Pradesh's Congress unit chief Pratibha Singh, and Bharatiya Janata Party's Kangana Ranaut in the Mandi constituency of Himachal Pradesh. Singh, who recently resigned as a minister in Himachal Pradesh, will face off against Ranaut, known for her work in the film industry.
Another notable candidate is Manish Tewari, a former Union Minister Information & Broadcasting, who will be contesting from the Chandigarh constituency. Tewari, currently representing Anandpur Sahib in Punjab, was subject to speculation regarding a potential shift to the BJP, which was later dismissed by his office.
Here's a breakdown of the candidates announced by the Congress:
| Sl. No. | State | Constituency | Candidate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chandigarh | Chandigarh | Manish Tewari |
| 2 | Gujarat | Mahesana | Ramji Thakor (Palvi) |
| 3 | Gujarat | Ahmedabad East | Himmatsinh Patel |
| 4 | Gujarat | Rajkot | Pareshbhai Dhanani |
| 5 | Gujarat | Navasari | Naishadh Desai |
| 6 | Himachal Pradesh | Mandi | Vikramaditya Singh |
| 7 | Himachal Pradesh | Shimla - SC | Vinod Sultanpuri |
| 8 | Odisha | Keonjhar - ST | Mohan Hembram |
| 9 | Odisha | Balasore | Srikant Kumar Jena |
| 10 | Odisha | Bhadrak - SC | Anant Prasad Sethi |
| 11 | Odisha | Jajpur - SC | Anchal Das |
| 12 | Odisha | Dhenkanal | Smt. Sashmita Behera |
| 13 | Odisha | Kendrapara | Sidharth Swarup Das |
| 14 | Odisha | Jagatsinghpur - SC | Rabindra Kumar Sethy |
| 15 | Odisha | Puri | Smt. Sucharita Mohanty |
| 16 | Odisha | Bhubaneswar | Yasir Nawaz |
Additionally, the Congress has named candidates for bye-elections to the Legislative Assembly of Gujarat:
| Seat | Candidate |
|---|---|
| Vijapur | Dineshbhai Tulsidas Patel |
| Porbandar | Rajubhai Bhimanbhai Odedra |
| Manavadar | Haribhai Govindbhai Kansagara |
| Khambhat | Mahendrasinh Harisinh Parmar |
The Lok Sabha Elections are scheduled to take place across the country in seven phases, beginning on April 17, with results expected to be declared on June 4.