Congress party likely put an end to speculations over its candidate from Gandhi family’s strong holds Amethi and Raebareli Lok Sabha constituencies in Uttar Pradesh. For all probabilities, party sources said tht Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra may file nominations from here.
Before filing their nominations, the two Congress leaders may also visit Ayodhya and take Ram Lalla’s blessings at the grand Ram Mandir. Rahul Gandhi is already contesting Lok Sabha elections from Kerala’s Wayanad seat. Polling in this seat is scheduled in the second phase on Friday, April 26.
Now, speculations are around that Rahul Gandhi may file nomination from another seat and that would be Amethi. If he goes ahead, then it would be his third contest from this seat. Rahul will also face Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Smriti Irani for the third time.
For Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, if she goes ahead and file nomination from Raebareli, then it would be her first ever Lok Sabha election. Sonia Gandhi is the incumbent MP from Raebareli, however, she has already moved to Rajya Sabha.
Meanwhile, BJP is persuading Priyanka’s cousin brother and its MP Varun Gandhi to contest from Raebareli as BJP candidate. It is seeking his mother Maneka Gandhi’s intervention in this regard. Waiting for his confirmation, the BJP is yet to announce its candidate from here.
Both Amethi and Raebareli have remained Congress strongholds until recently when Smriti Irani defeated Rahul Gandhi in Amethi in Lok Sabha elections 2019, by a margin of 55,120 votes. However, in 2014, the Congress leader claimed victory in this seat against Smriti Irani by a margin of 1,07,903 votes.
Talking about the upcoming election in Raebareli, political analysts have been of the opinion that it is going to be an equally challenging contest for any Congress candidate in Raebareli also. In Raebareli, Sonia Gandhi defeated BJP’s Dinesh Pratap Singh by a margin of 1,67,178 votes.
Amid these speculations, some leaders from Amethi have been called to Delhi on 27th and 28th April after voting in Wayanad gets concluded on April 26. Rahul Gandhi and his team will sit with Congress Amethi unit where a decision can be taken of him contesting election from Amethi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra from Raebareli.
Polling in Amethi and Raebareli will take place in the fifth phase on May 20. Uttar Pradesh has a total of 80 Lok Sabha seats.
