With 43 candidates for the Lok Sabha drawn from four states and one Union Territory, the Congress party has released its second list, which combines social justice with family politics. The sons of three past chief ministers—Gaurav Gogoi, Nakul Nath, and Vaibhav Gehlot—are notably included on the list, demonstrating the persistence of political legacies.
The Congress has strategically assigned 32 seats to candidates from Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in order to highlight the representation of neglected people. This highlights the party’s commitment to maintaining social justice ideals.
Son of former chief minister of Assam Tarun Kumar Gogoi, Gaurav Gogoi will run from the Jorhat constituency in Assam, abandoning his prior success in Kaliabor. Nakul Nath, who is standing from Chhindwara, is carrying on his father’s political career as a former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh. Vaibhav Gehlot, the son of former chief minister of Rajasthan Ashok Gehlot, is attempting to regain the Jalore seat that the Congress had previously taken in 1999.
The Congress has also chosen its candidates carefully. For example, Rahul Kaswan, a former BJP member from Churu, is running against Paralympic gold medallist Devendra Jhajharia, the BJP’s nominee.
The list includes one minority candidate, ten SCs, nine STs, and thirteen OBCs, demonstrating diversity in representation. The candidates are dispersed over several regions, with a notable emphasis on concentrating especially on Assam, where the Congress has declared candidates for 12 of the 14 seats.
The Congress General Secretary (organization), K C Venugopal, has described the 2024 Lok Sabha election as a fight between the welfare of the poor, which the Congress is fighting for, and the interests of the rich, which the BJP is representing. He emphasized the efforts made by the Congress-led administrations in Telangana and Karnataka to fulfill their commitments to the underprivileged segments of society.
In addition, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge listed six important commitments meant to allay Scheduled Tribes’ worries. Among these are the creation of a nationwide mission to ensure the Forest Rights Act is implemented effectively,the repeal of the Forest Conservation and Land Acquisition Acts, the scheduling of areas inhabited mostly by STs, the legalization of minor forest products at a minimum support price, and the fortification of the Scheduled Caste Plan and Tribal Sub-plan.
The Congress’s electoral strategy strikes a balance between political heritage and an unwavering commitment to social justice and inclusivity as the election landscape develops. The next Lok Sabha elections will act as a barometer for the party’s revival and its capacity to connect with the goals of all sections of the population in the country.
