The Congress is purportedly contemplating the nomination of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Rahul Gandhi for the forthcoming Lok Sabha election from the constituencies of Rae Bareli and Amethi, respectively, as per sources disclosed on Thursday. Sources indicate that the conclusive determination will transpire subsequent to April 26, with the prospect of filing nominations within the ensuing week.
During this juncture, Wayanad, whence Rahul Gandhi presently contends, is poised for electoral activity. In the antecedent Lok Sabha polls of 2019, Smriti Irani prevailed over Rahul Gandhi in the Amethi constituency. The Bharatiya Janata Party has re-nominated Irani for the same constituency. Aligned with the seat allocation accord between the Samajwadi Party and Congress in Uttar Pradesh, the Congress is slated to vie for 17 constituencies while the Samajwadi Party lays claim to the remaining 63 seats in the pivotal electoral arena.
In addition to its traditional strongholds of Rae Bareli and Amethi, the Congress has cast its electoral hat into the ring for Varanasi, Ghaziabad, and Kanpur. Preceding this, posters featuring Robert Vadra, spouse of Congress luminary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, surfaced outside the party’s precincts on Wednesday within the Gauriganj vicinage of Amethi.
This development instigated conjecture regarding a potential candidacy for Vadra. Nevertheless, the Congress ostensibly demonstrates an inclination to vigorously contest every electoral arena it enters, thus arriving at the decision to nominate the Gandhi siblings. The Lok Sabha constituencies of Amethi and Rae Bareli are slated for polling in the fifth phase of the elections on May 20.
However, Rahul Gandhi is poised to encounter formidable opposition in his erstwhile bastion, with Union Minister Smriti Irani having undertaken extensive campaigning within the constituency. On April 8, the Union Minister called into question Rahul Gandhi’s allegiance to Amethi.
“BJP operatives are cognizant of the proclivity of the Gandhi dynasty to contest elections from Amethi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi extends provisions to 19 lakh constituents within the Amethi Lok Sabha constituency. If the Gandhi dynasty espouses opposition to Narendra Modi, what explanation will they offer to these 19 lakh families benefiting from complimentary provisions?… I recently visited Wayanad and learned that Rahul Gandhi has anointed Wayanad as his family’s bastion…Yesterday, a Congress functionary asserted that Rahul Gandhi opted for Wayanad due to his belief that the people of Wayanad are more loyal. What of the loyalty of Amethi?” she articulated during a press briefing.
Rae Bareli has remained a Congress stronghold since 1960, with both Feroze Gandhi and Indira Gandhi having represented it. Sonia Gandhi has served as the MP from the constituency since her triumph in the 2006 by-poll. With Sonia transitioning to the upper echelons of the legislature, the Congress is seemingly inclined to nominate Priyanka Gandhi, who currently serves as a general secretary within the party.