Protest outside Rahul Gandhi’s residence
NEW DELHI: Supporters of Congress leaders Raj Kumar Chauhan and Mahabal Mishra staged a protest outside the party office and Rahul Gandhi's residence following reports that the two leaders were denied ticket for the Lok Sabha polls.
The list of Congress candidates on seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi was not declared till late Sunday evening although the process of nomination is scheduled to conclude on April 23.
Party sources claimed the Congress has finalised all the seven candidates and the party is likely to field Delhi Congress working president Rajesh Lilothia from North West Delhi seat, from where Raj Kumar Chauhan was hopeful.
Olympic medal winner wrestler Sushil Kumar could be fielded from Purvanchali dominated constituency of West Delhi from where Mahabal Mishra was to be fielded. "I am trying to pacify my supporters but they are angry over neglect of Purvanchali people. An official announcement of candidates is awaited but the Congress may suffer losses because Purvanchali voters dominate West Delhi seat," Mishra said.
Mishra was elected from West Delhi in 2009 and was three time MLA from Dwarka Assembly lying in the parliamentary constituency.
The supporters of Chauhan, a Dalit leader of the Delhi Congress and former minister in the Sheila Dikshit government, also staged protest outside Gandhi's residence.
Chauhan's supporters claimed that he was informally apprised about being given ticket from North West Delhi and had already begun preparations for campaigning.
"It is beyond our belief that our leader's ticket has been given to someone else. We will not relent till party changes its decision," a close aide of Chauhan said.
Sources said the party has finalised names of Sheila Dikshit from Chandni Chowk, J P Agarwal from North East Delhi, Ramesh Kumar from South Delhi and Arvinder Singh Lovely from East Delhi Lok Sabha seats.
The list of candidates may be announced late tonight, they said. Supporters of senior Congress leader Mahabal Mishra protest outside AICC headquaters, demanding a ticket for him from West Delhi constituency in New Delhi, on Sunday