File photo of BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi
The Congress is expected to finally decide in the next two days who to field against the BJP's prime ministerial candidate
Narendra Modi in Varanasi, already the most watched contest in these general elections.
The candidate that the Congress will pick for the Uttar Pradesh temple town will not only take on Mr Modi, but also Aam Aadmi Party chief
Arvind Kejriwal.
The ruling party is reportedly trying to decide whether to put in the fray a national level leader - general secretary Digvijaya Singh has been mentioned, Commerce Minister Anand Sharma said he would happily contest - or then a strong local candidate who can actually garner support and make it a tough fight. (
Read: Anand Sharma willing to take on Narendra Modi in Varanasi)
If it picks the latter, a former BJP man Ajay Rai is being seen as a frontrunner. Mr Rai had contested the Lok Sabha election in 2009 as a Samajwadi Party candidate against the BJP's Murli Manohar Joshi, who won. Mr Rai had come in third behind the BSP's Mukhtar Ansari.
He later contested the UP elections as a Congressman and is the current legislator from Varanasi's Pindra seat.
The Congress is also said to be considering other local candidates.
The party has fielded Madhusudan Mistry, a senior party leader seen as close to Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, against Mr Modi in the second seat he is contesting - Vadodara in Gujarat. (
Read: In Vadodara, Narendra Modi faces senior Congress leader Madhusudan Mistry)
But it is the Varanasi contest that is grabbing most attention, not least because of Mr Kejriwal's dramatic declaration that he will fight to defeat Mr Modi there.
Varanasi votes on May 12, the last of nine phases of polling in these general elections. The first phase is on April 7. (
See full poll schedule here)