After Kejriwal’s arrest, Congress’ Lok Sabha candidate selection woes increase in Delhi

The Congress is contesting three seats and the AAP four in Delhi. “The party high command had mostly made up its mind before one additional name, each, on the Chandni Chowk and Northeast Delhi seats was conveyed for consideration impacting the choices for two out of three seats. Public perception surveys will now be carried out on both of these to make the final decision,” a senior leader said.

Sources said a positive tilt in public sentiment towards the AAP-Congress combine following Kejriwal’s arrest in the Delhi liquor policy case over a fortnight ago, as per internal surveys, has reintroduced senior leaders from “across the party” in the race for the three Parliamentary seats.

In addition to veteran party leader, ex-minister and incumbent Delhi Congress president Arvinder Singh Lovely, these leaders include former JNUSU president and current All India Congress Committee in-charge for the party’s students’ wing, the National Students Union of India, Kanhaiya Kumar in whom the party, sources said, sees “much potential” as a future leader and a Purvanchali face to reckon with in the city’s politics.

“Many senior leaders from Delhi had thrown their hat in the ring before the alliance (with AAP) before choosing to withdraw for their own reasons; Kanhaiya’s name, for instance, was first floated as a probable from the West Delhi seat when there was no alliance,” said another party leader.

“After Kejriwal was arrested, surveys began showing that public sentiment and support were shifting towards the AAP-Congress combine; leaders who had opted out realised they had a chance and became interested again,” the leader added.

Party sources said while former BJP MP Udit Raj was leading the race for a ticket from Northwest Delhi, the other probables included Lovely and Kanhaiya from the Northeast in addition to Sandeep Dikshit as well as Jai Prakash Aggarwal from Chandni Chowk.

Sources said the state unit survey showed that the AAP-Congress combine had an edge in Northeast Delhi. The screening committee, which assessed the winnability of candidates in different Parliamentary segments, “suggested that Lovely contest” from here, while the Congress high command was “in favour of launching Kanhaiya”.

“Kanhaiya is a serious contender. The party is looking at him as a Purvanchali leader to be cultivated in the capital but has decided to get a public survey done to assess whom to field from Northeast and Chandni Chowk. Its result will need to be in before the notification for the sixth phase in which Delhi goes to polls is issued,” another leader said.

“Deepak Babaria, In-charge for Delhi, and Lovely are scheduled to be called for a closed-door meeting with the high command soon where the final call will be taken. The announcement will then be made,” the leader added.