Only two days are left for the process of filing nomination papers for Amethi and Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seats of Uttar Pradesh to end, but the suspense regarding the Congress candidate on these two seats still remains. Amethi and Rae Bareli are considered traditional strongholds of the Gandhi-Nehru family, as members of this family have represented these seats for many decades. However, this time will top Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra contest elections from here or not? Its decision has not been taken yet in Congress.
Sources said that Rahul Gandhi is likely to contest elections from Rae Bareli, but a final decision in this regard is yet to be taken by the Gandhi family. Giving the reason for this suspense, sources said that Priyanka Gandhi is also willing to contest elections from Rae Bareli seat, but in view of Prime Minister Narendra Modi raising the issue of dynastic politics against the Congress leadership, Rahul Gandhi is not in favor of this idea.
Sources said that Rahul does not want all three members of the Gandhi family to become MPs. He also said that a meeting was held on Wednesday to discuss the names of candidates for both the seats but no decision was taken.
KL Sharma, a close associate of the Gandhi family, said that people are expecting that members of the Gandhi family will contest from Amethi and Rae Bareli seats. He said a decision on the matter would be taken ‘very soon’ as the last date for filing nominations for the seats is May 3.
‘Decision will be taken in 24-30 hours’
Amid doubts about Congress candidates on Amethi and Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seats, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said that ‘no one is afraid’ and the decision in this regard will be announced in the next 24-30 hours. He said the party’s Central Election Committee (CEC) has authorized Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge to finalize the names of candidates for Amethi and Rae Bareli parliamentary seats.
Responding to a question regarding candidature on both the seats during the press conference here, Ramesh said, ‘I am hopeful that the Congress President will take a decision in the next 24-30 hours.’ Said, ‘Until this happens, all the information and all the so-called office orders are fake.’
When asked why there is a delay in taking the decision and is Congress afraid of fielding Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra? On this Ramesh said, ‘There is no delay. Has BJP announced its candidate in Rae Bareli? Smriti Irani is the current MP from Amethi. No one is afraid. Discussions are going on and the Congress President has been authorized to take a decision. He said, ‘There is no delay, there is time till May 3.’
The state leadership of Congress in Uttar Pradesh has already requested the Central Election Committee (CEC) and the party leadership to field Rahul Gandhi from Amethi and Priyanka Gandhi from Rae Bareli parliamentary seat. CEC members had supported the idea of the Uttar Pradesh unit of Congress during the meeting held on Saturday.
Congress workers staged a protest in Amethi
Meanwhile, Congress workers also staged a protest in Amethi on Tuesday and demanded that the party make a member of the Gandhi family its candidate from Amethi Lok Sabha constituency. Amethi seat has been represented by Rahul Gandhi since 2004 and he was elected Member of Parliament from this constituency for three consecutive times. He lost the election in 2019 to BJP’s Smriti Irani.
Rahul Gandhi currently represents the Wayanad constituency of Kerala, from where he won the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. This time too Rahul is contesting from Wayanad. Voting will be held in Amethi and Rae Bareli constituencies on May 20 in the fifth phase of the seven-phase general elections.
Rahul Gandhi has already said that he will follow whatever order he gets from his party. Sonia Gandhi represented Rae Bareli constituency from 2004 to 2024. Before that, after entering politics, Sonia Gandhi had represented Amethi Lok Sabha constituency and contested elections for the first time in 1999.