Cong likely to declare names for remaining four LS seats

RANCHI: The Congress is likely to declare the names of candidates for four Lok Sabha seats from its quota after Eid, which is likely to be celebrated on April 10 or 11, leaders aware of the development said on Saturday.

As per the informal seatsharing arrangements among INDIA bloc members, Congress is to contest seven of the 14 Lok Sabha seats in Jharkhand.

The party has already declared candidates for three seats including Khunti, Lohardaga, and Hazaribag, while the list for Godda, Ranchi, Dhanbad, and Chatra is yet to be released.

The Chatra seat, in particular, is a bone of contention between Congress and RJD as both parties want to field their candidates.

“The four seats where the candidates are to be announced would go to polls in the fifth, sixth, and seventh phases. Therefore, there is no urgency as such. Also, there are two important festivals next week, Sarhul and Eid. The screening has already been done, but the names are likely to be announced after these festivals,” a senior Congress leader said.

Meanwhile, Jharkhand Congress in-charge Ghulam Ahmed Mir chaired a meeting of the media and communications department of the party in the wake of preparation for the Lok Sabha polls.

“The department ought to ensure that the manifesto of the party reaches every individual. The manifesto has to be translated into all languages spoken and read in the state. The state spokespersons have also been assigned the task to coordinate with the district spokespersons for better and coordinated messaging,” said party spokesperson Sonal Shanti.