Congress releases list of 31 candidates, Ashok Gehlot's son Vaibhav to contest from Jodhpur

The Congress on Thursday released its list of 31 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The list includes six names for Gujarat, six for Uttar Pradesh and the remaining 19 for Rajasthan. With the latest announcement, the party has so far named 293 candidates. 

As per the list, Vaibhav Gehlot, son of Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, will contest from Jodhpur parliamentary constituency. 

Manvendra, son of former Union minister and veteran BJP leader Jaswant Singh, will contest from Barmer. Manvendra  had switched to Congress from BJP ahead of the assembly polls last year.

Former Union Minister Bhanwar Jitendra Singh will contest from Alwar. He is among the several leaders of the Congress party who questioned the airstrikes carried out the Indian Air Force in Pakistan's Balakot.

In Gujarat, the party has chosen the sitting MLA from Dhoraji, Lalit Vasoya for Porbandar seat, which is seen as a bastion of Vitthal Radadiya and Jayesh Radadiya of the BJP. Vasoya is a close aide of Hardik Patel and was once the convenor of the Patel Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS).

The Lok Sabha elections will be held in seven phases across the country from April 11 to May 19, while counting of votes will held on May 23. 

In Rajasthan, the Lok Sabha polls will be held in two phases - on April 29 and May 6. In Gujarat, all the 26 constituencies will go for polling during the third phase of elections on April 23.

The polling in Uttar Pradesh, which sends the largest number of 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha, will be held in seven phases. Voting in UP will be held on April 11, 18, 23, 29, May 6, 12, 19.