In the political realm, it has been declared by the Congress on Tuesday that their nominees will indubitably submit their candidacy documents for the eminent constituencies of Amethi and Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh by the third day of May, amidst fervent conjecture regarding the participation of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi.
Commencement of the nomination process for these two constituencies commenced on the twenty-seventh day of April and is slated to conclude on the third day of May. The electoral exercise itself is scheduled for the twentieth day of May. There exists speculation that Rahul Gandhi shall contend for his customary seat in Amethi, a constituency he held sway over from 2004 to 2019, while Priyanka Gandhi is expected to vie for Rae Bareli, thus perpetuating the legacy of her mother, Sonia Gandhi, presently a member of the Rajya Sabha.
Avinash Pande, the AICC’s point person for Uttar Pradesh, conveyed to ETV Bharat, “Our nominees shall indisputably tender their candidacies by May 3. All requisite arrangements have been completed. Deliberations regarding the nominees for these two constituencies are underway within the CEC, and an official announcement is imminent.”
Insiders within the party revealed that during a recent CEC conclave presided over by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, discussions regarding the two constituencies were held, with the UP overseer and CLP leader Aradhana Mishra summoned to participate. In the meeting, it was underscored by the UP representatives that both the electorate and party cadre in Amethi and Rae Bareli ardently preferred a candidate hailing from the Gandhi family to contest the national elections. Ultimately, the decision was left in the hands of the Gandhi family.
As the Gandhi scions deliberated over the matter, speculations rife within party circles entertained various scenarios sotto voce – Rahul potentially contending in Amethi with Priyanka abstaining from the electoral fray altogether, or Rahul possibly shifting his focus to Rae Bareli with Priyanka assuming the mantle in Amethi, or individuals closely associated with the family being nominated for the two constituencies.
While certain Congress luminaries postulated the existence of a contingency plan devised by party strategists in the event of the Gandhi siblings declining to run, former head of the UP unit, Brijlal Khabri, dismissed such a scenario as exceedingly improbable.
“I am of the opinion that it shall be solely the Gandhis who shall contest from the aforementioned constituencies. The only matter pending resolution is the allocation of seats. I do not anticipate any third-party candidacy,” remarked Khabri to ETV Bharat.
He opined that a modicum of suspense surrounding the contenders for these pivotal seats was acceptable.
“Suspense serves to heighten anticipation and shall be short-lived. Once the names are officially declared, grassroots workers shall be galvanized, commencing preparations for the elections with renewed vigor. On the ground, local leaders and activists have been toiling in these constituencies over the past weeks. The unveiling of names and the filing of nomination papers can be executed expeditiously,” averred Khabri.
The senior leader lambasted the BJP for impugning the delay and insinuating that the Gandhis were shying away from the electoral battlefield in Uttar Pradesh.
“The BJP’s pronouncements notwithstanding, they are evidently perturbed following two rounds of polling. Their initial prognostications in Uttar Pradesh have gone awry, and the Congress-SP coalition is gaining traction. Consequently, they are apprehensive and have trained their sights on the Gandhis,” alleged Khabri.
As per Avinash Pande, the AICC’s representative for the region, subsequent to the closure of the nomination process for the two constituencies on May 3, a joint consultation between the Congress and SP is slated to convene in Amethi and Sultanpur on May 4 to deliberate on collaborative campaign strategies among the cadre of both parties.