Few surprises in Cong first list

The Congress today released its first list of 75 candidates, with a sprinkling of new faces among old. Prominent veterans are Congress deput...

The Congress today released its first list of 75 candidates, with a sprinkling of new faces among old. Prominent veterans are Congress deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Shivraj Patil, deputy Speaker P.M. Sayeed while senior leaders P.R. Dasmunsi, C.K. Jaffer Sharief, Sankersinh Vaghela and Kamal Nath also retained their old seats.

Patil has been renominated from Latur, Sayeed from Lakshwadeep, Dasmunsi from Raiganj, Sharief from Bangalore North, Vaghela from Kapadvang in Gujarat and Kamal Nath from Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh.

AICC media department chairperson Ambika Soni said the party would come out with a list of 100 candidates on March 16. The Central Election Committee (CEC) will meet on March 13, 14 and 15 to finalise candidates from a few more states. The only MP who has shifted his seat is former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shyama Charan Shukla, V.C. Shukla’s brother, from Mahasamund to Raipur.

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Sixteen new names have been added to the list. Former Goa chief minister Churchill Alemao has been nominated from Marmagao, Dr Basante Pahare from Bilaspur (SC), Bhupesh Baghel from Durg, Praveen S. Rashtrapal from Patan (SC), former Union minister R. Prabhu from Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu and Chhattisgarh CLP leader Mahendra Karma from Bastar .

Others who have been nominated from the same seats include Mani Shankar Aiyar from Mayiladuthurai in Tamil Nadu, Preneet Kaur, wife of Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, from Patiala, A.B.A. Ghani Khan Chaudhary from Malda in West Bengal, Margaret Alva from Kanara in Karnataka, chief spokesman S. Jaipal Reddy from Miryalguda, Buta Singh from Jalore (SC), Renuka Chowdhury from Khamman in Andhra Pradesh, Jyotiraditya Scindia from Guna, R.L. Jalappa from Chikballapur, Ambarish from Mandya, Satyavrata Chaturvedi from Khajuraho, Sunil Dutta from Bombay North-West, Hema Gamang, wife of former Orissa chief minister Giridhar Gamang, from Koraput, R.L. Bhatia from Amritsar and R.S Patil from Bagalkot in Karnataka.

Gaza-bound Flotilla says it was struck by drone in Tunisian waters; authorities deny claim

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The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) for Gaza said early Tuesday that one of its main boats was struck by a drone off the Tunisian waters, but all the six passengers and crew are reportedly safe, Reuters reported. However, Tunisia's National Guard spokesman told Mosaique FM radio that reports of a drone attack on the flotilla "have no basis in truth".

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