Rahul Gandhi leaves for London, to visit US too, Haryana Congress list of candidates stuck
Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, departed for London late at night at 1:50 AM, according to sources. Reports indicate that Gandhi took flight BA-142 to London and will later proceed to the United States. Meanwhile, Congress appears to be lagging in announcing its candidates for the upcoming Haryana elections.
Meanwhile, even 36 hours after the BJP released its first candidate list, Congress has yet to make its own announcement, despite finalizing the names of 66 candidates last week. The party had initially planned to announce the list on September 4, but two days after the deadline, no signs of a declaration have emerged.
During this delay in ticket distribution, Rahul Gandhi, who plays a significant role in the process, has left for the US, where he is scheduled to visit Dallas, Texas, and Washington, D.C. Gandhi has an event planned in Washington on September 10, meaning he will return to Delhi after that date.
The BJP has also taken a jab at Congress for the delay in announcing their candidates, suggesting that when the list finally comes out, "the shop will be empty."
Why is Congress delaying the announcement of its candidates?
1. Challenges in coalition talks: Initially, Congress was planning to contest the Haryana elections alone. However, Rahul Gandhi suggested forming a coalition at the last minute. Since then, Congress leaders have been in talks with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), CPI, CPM, and Samajwadi Party (SP). Despite the discussions, no final agreements have been reached with these parties.
It’s being reported that the demands of the allies are high, while Congress is looking to offer single-digit seats to its partners. For instance, Congress is willing to give AAP 5-7 seats, SP 2 seats, and CPI-CPM 1 seat each.
According to Congress insiders, AAP is demanding seats in Kurukshetra, while SP is eyeing seats in the Rewari-Gurugram area, where they have a strong presence. Congress may wait another day or two to finalize the talks, but if the alliance doesn't come through, the party will proceed with announcing its candidates.