Tarun Karthick
Port Blair, 23 March 2024
Indian National Congress has officially declared Mr. Kuldeep Rai Sharma as its candidate for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Parliamentary Constituency in the upcoming elections.
Mr. Sharma, the incumbent Member of Parliament from Andaman and Nicobar Islands, has been selected to represent the Congress party once again. He boasts a notable track record, having received the prestigious Sansad Ratna Award thrice during his tenure.
His victory in the 2019 General Election marked a significant achievement, as he defeated the BJP candidate, Mr. Vishal Jolly during the intense Modi wave in the country, by a margin of 1407 votes.
The decision to nominate Mr. Sharma for the 2024 MP candidacy followed a rigorous internal selection process, wherein he faced tough competition from Mr. TSG Bhasker, the Campaign Committee Chairperson of the Andaman Nicobar Territorial Congress Committee.
The announcement of Mr. Sharma’s candidacy is expected to intensify political activities in the region, as parties prepare for vigorous campaigning leading up to the parliamentary elections. The nomination window for candidates for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Parliamentary Constituency opened today and will remain active until March 27, 2024. Subsequently, the scrutiny of nominations is scheduled for March 28, 2024, followed by the deadline for withdrawal of nominations by March 30, 2024.
As the stage is now set for a dynamic and competitive electoral process, contenders from various political factions are gearing up to garner support from the electorate in the upcoming polls.