The Congress has realsed a second list of 43 candidates for upcoming Lok Sabha elections today. Among them are prominent GenNext leaders like Nakul Nath, son of Kamal Nath, Vaibhav Gehlot, son of Ashok Gehlot, and Gaurav Gogoi, the son of former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, are included.

Vaibhav Gehlot, who will contest from Jalore, was defeated by Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in the 2019 Jodhput election.

In addition, Harish Meena, the former chief of police for the state, will contest from Tonk-Sawai Madhopur. Rahul Kaswa, who crossed over from the BJp, will contest from Churu and Brijendra Ola from Jhunjhunu.

KC Venugopal on Tuesday announced the  names and said they have already announced their first list of candidates for the Lok Sabha elections. Today, they are going to announce the second list. Yesterday, CEC met and cleared the list of around 43 names from Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, he added.

In this list, out of the 43 candidates, 10 are General candidates, 13 OBC candidates, 10 SC candidates, 9 ST candidates and 1 Muslim candidate, said KC Venugopal.

Meanwhile, in January, Nakul Nath, the current Member of Parliament for Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh, unilaterally announced that he would contest from his family’s stronghold.

Reports surfaced a few days after he made remarks suggesting that he and his father, Kamal Nath, were about to leave the Congress party. There was speculation that they were in talks with the BJP.

A confidante of Kamal Nath has stated they were insulted in the party. However, later, the two denied the rumors.

The 2019 general elections saw Vaibhav Gehlot, the son of former chief minister Ashok Gehlot, contest but he was unsuccessful. He lost to BJP’s Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.

Nayab Singh Saini, Member of Parliament from Kurukshetra took oath as the new Chief Minister of Haryana Tuesday. Saini belonging to the Other Backward Classes (OBC) community took oath following the resignation of incumbent chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar today. The BJP invited family members as well as ordinary members of the public to attend the oath-taking ceremony.

Saini’s political career started with his association with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, where he crossed paths with Khattar. Transitioning his way to the BJP he held a number of positions in local party offices. He established himself as a crucial OBC vote bank and a loyal party member.

In 2010 Saini contested in the Naraingarh constituency but he faced defeat against Ramkishan Gurjar. In 2014 he was victorious by a margin of 24,361 votes and he also served as a state minister in the Haryana government. Currently he is representing Kurukshetra in the Parliament and will take on the role of Haryana’s next chief minister.

The unexpected resignation of Manohar Lal Khattar took place during failed negotiations between the JJP and BJP over seat sharing ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. According to reports the rift between the parties led to resignation of Manohar Lal Khattar and made way for Nayab Singh Saini for the post of the Chief Minister of Haryana.

A central team from the BJP which included Union Minister Arjun Munda and former Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, was in the state to oversee the transition of power. Despite tension arising in the JJP and BJP alliance in Haryana, the BJP has asserted its numerical strength to pass the halfway mark in the 90-member House.

The BJP observers were reportedly told MLAs and the state unit wanted a new hand as chief minister to revitalize the party before the Lok Sabha Elections and state elections which are going to take place later this year.

Aariz Chandra, APN News channel’s Input Incharge, passed away on March 11. He was 46. Chandra collapsed late last night in the paying guest accommodation he was living in in Noida’s Sector 70. Fellow boarders took him to a private hospital which refused to take him in because it didn’t have a ventilator. He was then taken to the Sector 39 District Government Combined Hospital, where he was declared brought dead.

Chandra was undergoing treatment for neurological ailments which had recurred after a brain stroke in Mumbai some 10 years ago. Chandra had a long stint in Aaj Tak, the leading Hindi news channel. He covered courts and later the crime beat, which he covered with aplomb, including the underworld.

The only son of late journalist and writer Shakeel Chandra, Aariz is survived by his mother and a sister.

Aariz Chandra moved to Noida after the pandemic and was employed in several TV channels, the last being APN News. A hard worker, Aariz Chandra was fastest with the news, and a team player.

APN News Editor-in-Chief Rajshri Rai said: “It is with heavy hearts that we bid farewell to Aariz Chandra, whose dedication, diligence, and unwavering commitment to his work made him an invaluable member of our team.”

“His passion for journalism and his meticulous attention to detail ensured that every piece of news delivered to our audience was accurate and impactful. Aariz’s warm personality and infectious enthusiasm brightened our newsroom every day, leaving a lasting impression on all who had the privilege of working alongside him. His sudden departure leaves a void that cannot be filled, and he will be dearly missed by his colleagues and friends at APN News. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time.”