Rajinder Nagar bypolls: Congress to announce candidate in a day or two, says Anil Kumar

AAPs candidate is not a local and BJP is yet to announce its candidate, Bhardwaj told PTI.Delhi unit of Congress will send a list of proposed candidates to our high command and thereafter, a final decision will be taken, he said.Bypolls to Rajinder Nagar seat in Delhi, along with six other assembly constituencies and three Lok Sabha seats in different states, will be held on June 23.

Name of Congress candidate for by-elections to Rajinder Nagar assembly seat, slated to be held on June 23, will be announced in a day or two, party’s Delhi unit president Anil Kumar said on Wednesday.

''Two rounds of meetings have been held with senior party members about the possible names of the candidates. We are also looking into the suggestions given by various party members and workers,'' Kumar told PTI.

The Delhi Congress chief said that the party is on the last leg of discussions.

''Meetings to decide a candidate are going on ever since date of by-elections was announced. There are several aspirants, including some old faces, and a final decision will be taken soon. Candidate's name will most likely be announced in a day or two,'' he said.

Another senior Congress leader stated that a local will most likely be preferred as the candidate for the by-elections.

''We know that the AAP has announced its candidate for Rajinder Nagar bypolls. But it should be noted that their candidate (Durgesh Pathak) is not a local leader in that constituency,'' former MLA Anil Bhardwaj said.

He said that discussions are underway to select the candidate and a final call will be taken by the Central Election Committee of Congress very soon.

''We would like to have a Rajinder Nagar local as our candidate for the by-elections. AAP's candidate is not a local and BJP is yet to announce its candidate,'' Bhardwaj told PTI.

''Delhi unit of Congress will send a list of proposed candidates to our high command and thereafter, a final decision will be taken,'' he said.

Bypolls to Rajinder Nagar seat in Delhi, along with six other assembly constituencies and three Lok Sabha seats in different states, will be held on June 23. The Rajinder Nagar seat fell vacant after Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Raghav Chadha was sent to Rajya Sabha from Punjab by the party.

The last Congress candidate who won Rajinder Nagar constituency was Ramakant Goswami in 2008. As per the Election Commission data, Goswami had got 29,394 votes, defeating BJP's Asha Yogi, wife of late legislator Puran Chand Yogi.