Thu Dec 12 20:05:35 UTC 2024: ## Congress Announces Delhi Assembly Candidates, Rules Out AAP Alliance
**New Delhi, December 13, 2024** – The Indian National Congress (INC) released its first list of 21 candidates for the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections scheduled for February 2025. The list, finalized at a meeting of the party’s Central Election Committee, includes a mix of experienced leaders and fresh faces, representing various segments of society.
Delhi Congress chief Devender Yadav will contest from Badli, while Sandeep Dikshit, son of former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, will challenge AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal in the New Delhi constituency. Other notable candidates include former Delhi Congress president Anil Kumar and former Minister Haroon Yusuf.
Mr. Yadav stated that the list reflects the party’s commitment to inclusivity, featuring women and young candidates. He added that a second list will be released shortly. The announcement comes amidst speculation of a potential alliance between the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), a speculation both parties have consistently denied. The Congress and AAP contested the recent Lok Sabha elections in Delhi under a seat-sharing agreement.
Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor responded to the Congress’s candidate list, suggesting it was unsurprising and expressing hope that the Congress would not forge a last-minute alliance with AAP, as they had previously been speculated to do in the run-up to previous elections. Both the Congress, through its recent “Nyay Yatra,” and AAP, through Mr. Kejriwal’s padyatras, are actively campaigning across Delhi’s 70 constituencies.
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