The Congress on Thursday declared its first list of candidates for the Delhi Assembly elections, the dates for which are yet to be announced.

The party usually reveals its candidates at the eleventh hour. However, the ruling AAP has already declared candidates for 31 of the 70 seats. This appears to have spurred the Congress to name 21 candidates. Polls are expected early next year.

Former MP Sandeep Dikshit will contest from his late mother and former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit’s New Delhi seat. AAP national convener and former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has held the seat since 2013 after defeating Dikshit senior that year.

Adarsh Shastri, the grandson of late Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri and a former AAP MLA who joined the Congress in 2020, will contest from Dwarka in West Delhi.

Also on the list are Haroon Yusuf from Ballimaran and Jai Kishan from Sultanpur Majra. Delhi Congress chief Devender Yadav will fight from Badli and former party chief in the capital Anil Kumar will contest from Patparganj.