As uncertainty reigns over alliance with AAP, Congress may announce Delhi candidates today

Amid the efforts to forge an alliance with the AAP reaching a deadlock, the Congress has sent a list of probables for seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi to party president Rahul Gandhi for his approval, according to a senior party leader.

Notably, the nomination process for the Lok Sabha elections in Delhi is set to close on Tuesday.

The list of party probables, including Delhi Congress president Sheila Dikshit, was sent to Rahul and party's organisation secretary KC Venugopal on Friday, said AICC in-charge PC Chacko.

"The list is likely to be out on Saturday since Rahul Gandhi is out of Delhi for campaigning and will be back late tonight," Chacko said.

Another senior Congress leader said efforts to forge an alliance with the AAP in Delhi were stuck as there was an impasse on seat sharing in Delhi.

"They (AAP) are coming out with new formulae instead of agreeing to contest four seats and leave three for Congress in Delhi. Time is running out for nomination and campaigning, so we are focusing on announcement of our candidates," he said.

Sources said AAP has proposed to withdraw its Chandigarh candidate in favour of Congress if it agreed to have two seats in Delhi.

After several rounds of talks involving Chacko, AAP's Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh and other leaders of two sides, disagreement prevailed on scope of tie up and seat-sharing formula.

The AAP insisted on including Haryana in alliance while Congress stuck to 4-3 formula of seat sharing for Delhi alone.

Later, the AAP said Congress cannot be given more than two seats in Delhi if Haryana is kept out of the ambit of alliance. The Congress rejected it.

Sources in Congress said the party has finalised its seven candidates but some adjustments could be made on 2-3 seats.

Dikshit whose name was making the rounds as the party's probable candidate from East Delhi has now shown interest on Chandni Chowk seat, they said.

"If Dikshit is fielded from Chandni Chowk, former Delhi Congress president Arvinder Singh Lovely could be East Delhi candidate," said a top leader associated with screening of names for the Lok Sabha polls.

Former South Delhi MP Ramesh Kumar was considered on the seat. Olympic medal winner Sushil Kumar's name was also under consideration from South Delhi.

On West Delhi seat, the party was trying to field a prominent Purvanchali celebrity but the plan did not materialise. A former MP from the seat, Mahabal Mishra, is front-runner as party candidate on the seat due to his Purvanchali roots, sources claimed.

The nomination process for Lok Sabha polls in Delhi will conclude on April 23; nomination will not take place on Sunday.

The AAP has announced its candidates on seven seats while the BJP is likely to do so on Saturday.