Congress list out: Haroon Yusuf, Adarsh Shastri to contest

New Delhi: The Congress on Saturday has announced its first list of 54 candidates for the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections on February 8. The release came a day after the BJP announced its first of 57 candidates. The rest names will be declared later.

Among key leaders who have been included in the list are former Union minister Krishna Tirath who has been fielded from Patel Nagar, Haroon Yusuf from Balliamaran, and Arvinder Lovely from Gandhi Nagar. Meanwhile, Former Delhi minister Ashok Walia will contest from Krishna Nagar, Kirti Azad's wife from Sangam Vihar, and former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Alka Lamba will be contesting from Chandni Chowk.

Congress is yet to name its candidate from AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal's constituency of New Delhi. BJP too hasn't announced the candidate who will be fielded from New Delhi constituency.

Meanwhile, AAP's sitting MLA Adarsh Shastri, who joined the party on Saturday itself will be retaining his fight from Dwarka only.

Delhi Congress' president Subhash Chopra who had stated won't be fighting for elections and will only be a part of the campaign has fielded his kin Shivani Chopra from Kalkaji constituency.

The party has also given ticket to a young candidate Abhishek Dutt, who will be fighting from Kasturba Nagar, while Rajesh Lilotia will have been fielded from Mangol Puri constituency.

Earlier on Saturday, the Congress' Central Election Committee met at Sonia Gandhi's residence to finalise the list of candidates. The meeting was attended by top Congress leaders including the Delhi unit chief Subhash Chopra, the party's in charge of Delhi PC Chako, senior leaders Ahmed Patel and KC Venugopal. Neither the Congress or BJP have announced chief ministerial candidates against Kejriwal.