New Delhi, March 25 (IANS) The Congress Tuesday changed its nominee from Gujarat's Vadodara Lok Sabha constituency, from where BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi is contesting, replacing Narendra Rawat with party general secretary Madhusudan Mistry.
The party Tuesday came out with a list of 12 candidates including Mistry from Vadodara and former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan from Nanded.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari is unlikely to contest elections with the Congress moving Raveneet Singh Bittu, MP from Anandpur Sahib, to Ludhiana.
Tewari represented Ludhiana in 15th Lok Sabha. Among other candidates announced by the Congress include Santokh Singh Choudhary (Jalandhar) and M.S. Kaypee (Hoshiarpur).
Congress sources said that Rawat was a lightweight compared to Modi and the party wanted to give a tough fight to the Gujarat chief minister.
Interestingly, Rawat was chosen through the much flaunted process of primaries initiated by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi.
Modi is also contesting from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh.
Mistry said he was keen to contest against Modi.
"I have been asked to contest from Vadodara. It is an opportunity I had been waiting for a long time. Let Modi also contest from there and let's see who wins," said Mistry, who hails from Guajrat is considered close to party vice president Rahul Gandhi.
Chavan, who got the party ticket from Nanded, had to step down as chief minister in the wake of Adarsh housing society controversy that surfaced in 2010. There were uncertainty about whether he would be fielded.
Responding to questions concerning Chavan, party general secretary Ajay Maken said that court or Election Commission had not barred him from contesting.
He contended Chavan's case was different from Suresh Kalmadi and a court has not taken cognisance of allegations pertaining to him.
Last week, Congress had denied renomination to Kalmadi, sitting MP from Pune, in the wake of allegations against him concerning the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
Death sentence against law, Yaqub Memon to SC
New Delhi, March 11 (IANS) Yaqub Abdul Razak Memon, the mastermind of the 1993 Mumbai serial bo
India's 'digital strike' after Pahalgam attack, Pakistan government's official X account suspended
After the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu, and Kashmir, India is continuously taking strict a
It has not been even a year since Chandrababu Naidu was almost removed from the scene of Indian o
There has been silence in the Netrakoti village of Jammu after the Naxalite attack on Saturday in
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) team, which is investigating the economic aspects in the case of
Russia Ukraine War Update: 40 million people forced to leave their homes after Russia attack
Since the February 24 attack on Ukraine by Russian military forces, 14 million people in Ukraine
IPL 2024 Auction: 'Whatever Dhoni asked for, we bought it', CSK CEO reacted after the auction
Chennai Super Kings: Chennai Super Kings team always comes with a clear strategy in the IPL aucti
Pakistan makes repeated attempts to incite terrorism in Kashmir, but they have to face the Indian
The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed advocate Ashwini Upadhyay's plea seeking equal age of marri
Saroj Khan to choreograph for 'Itna Karo Na Mujhe Pyar'?
Mumbai, Feb 6 (IANS) Award winning choreographer Saroj Khan has been approached to choreograph