December 15, 2024 11:31 (IST)
Congress fields Ajai Rai from Varanasi
New Delhi, Apr 8 (IBNS): Ending long speculations, the Congress party on Tuesday announced that local MLA Ajai Rai will be its candidate from the Varanasi constituency in Uttar Pradesh for the Lok Sabha election.
Rai will take on Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) strongman and PM candidate Narendra Modi as well as Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal.
Announcing Rai's candidacy, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said, "Ajai Rai is connected with grassroots, has fought a number of elections successfully. He is currently a sitting Congress MLA and is, in the party's opinion, the best candidate in Varanasi."
"The party has taken a comprehensive view and chosen a grassroot leader," Surjewala said.
Rai is a former BJP man, who had contested the Lok Sabha election in 2009 as a Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate against the BJP's Murli Manohar Joshi.
He later contested the UP elections as a Congress candidate and is the sitting MLA in Varanasi.
Support Our Journalism
We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism
IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.
Support objective journalism for a small contribution.
Latest Headlines
Sikkim Chief Minister creates political record
Sat, May 17 2014
Narendra Modi sweeps India
Fri, May 16 2014
TRS set to form government in Telangana
Fri, May 16 2014
Gujarat NRE Coke congratulates Modi
Fri, May 16 2014
Modi thanks voters for landslide support
Fri, May 16 2014
Modi's role in BJP victory needs to be assessed: Advani
Fri, May 16 2014
Narendra Modi: The Tea-seller Who Earned It
Fri, May 16 2014
PDP bags all 3 seats in Kashmir
Fri, May 16 2014
Rajnath seeks Vajpayee's blessings, heads for Lucknow
Fri, May 16 2014