List of Congress probables in Delhi sent to Rahul, Sheila Dikshit may contest from Chandni Chowk

With the nomination process set to close on Tuesday, a list of Congress probables for seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi has been sent to party president Rahul Gandhi, according to sources.

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

As per sources, Sheila Dikshit may contest the ongoing general elections from Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha seat. Earlier, it was reported that Dikshit may contest from East Delhi constituency.

Further, former Delhi Congress president Arvinder Singh Lovely is expected to contest from East Delhi seat, Ajay Maken from New Delhi, wrestler Sushil Kumar from West Delhi, Ramesh Kumar from South Delhi and J P Agrawal from North East 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 development comes amid the alliance talks between the Congress and the AAP reaching a stalemate. AAP said an alliance just in Delhi is not possible after the Congress refused to have a tie-up anywhere else.

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.

However, sources say that even though the possibility of formation of an alliance has been completely closed in Haryana, the AAP is still open to alliance in the national capital in 5:2 formula with five seats for the ruling party.