Rahul Gandhi files nomination from Rae Bareli, ending suspense. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra opts out of Amethi. BJP claims Rahul fled. Congress strategizes for UP.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday returned to the Lok Sabha fray in Uttar Pradesh by taking the poll plunge from pocket borough Rae Bareli but his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra refrained from contesting from erstwhile stronghold Amethi, ending a weeks-long suspense over the two high-profile seats considered the party’s best chance at winning in India’s most populous state.
The decision sparked political controversy, with the Congress saying it was a well-planned move that would help it gain a foothold in Uttar Pradesh, which would send its members to the state, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claimed that Rahul Gandhi had fled Uttar Pradesh. Amethi.
Rahul Gandhi has filed his election papers from Rae Bareli, a seat held by his mother Sonia Gandhi since 2004 and the only seat won by the Congress in the state in 2019.
It showed that three generations of the family had joined the electorate. The contestant is a member of this prominent constituency, which his grandparents and mother have represented for 38 years.
Cheers as Rahul Gandhi arrived at Fursatganj airfield with Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and her husband Robert Vadra less than four hours after his name was announced. A cheering crowd greeted them.
“It was an emotional moment for me when Rae Bareli submitted his nomination! “My mother trusted me a lot with the responsibility of a family workplace and gave me the opportunity to serve her,” Rahul said. Mr. Gandhi mentioned Reddy and was joined by former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and many party leaders.
In Amethi, the party fielded pro-family KL Sharma against incumbent Smriti Irani.
Rahul Gandhi lost to Smriti Irani in Amethi in 2019, but won Wayanad in Kerala and is contesting that seat again this time.
“Amethi and Rae Bareli are no different to me. Both are family members of mine and I am happy that Kishori Lal Ji, who has worked in this region for 40 years, will be the president of the Amethi party.
In my continued fight for justice against injustice, I ask for the love and blessings of my loved ones. All of you join me in this fight to protect our Constitution and democracy. I am confident that it will happen,” he told X.
In Amethi, Mr. Sharma filed his candidature along with local Congress leaders. Earlier in the day, Priyanka Gandhi and former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot arrived at the local Congress office and appealed to workers and people to vote for Sharma.
Sharma, a resident of Ludhiana in Punjab, has worked on behalf of former Amethi MP Rajiv Gandhi, Satish Sharma, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
“The people of Amethi are in my heart. I have been here for 40 years. I follow the instructions at the top. I just want people to give me a chance to serve. ”
The two decisions cap weeks of heightened tensions around the seat in central Uttar Pradesh state, which has served as a small district for the Gandhi family for almost half a century. Elections for both seats will be held on May 20th. In Amethi, the Bharatiya Janata Party has nominated sitting MP Smriti Irani, who defeated Rahul Gandhi in 2019 by a margin of 55,000 votes.
In Rae Bareli, the BJP named UP minister Dinesh Pratap Singh as its candidate on Thursday. Singh filed his papers hours before Rahul Gandhi on Friday.
Congress insiders said the party leadership was keen to field Priyanka Gandhi from Amethi, but she has decided to campaign across the country, which is for the first time.
“A few days ago, my mother said, “In Delhi, my family is incomplete. When we come to Raebareli, such a family will be complete.” It has been going on for decades. It is a relationship of love and trust that has accompanied us like a rock through all our ups and downs, happiness and suffering, crises and struggles. It is also a relationship of service and faith that has continued uninterrupted for half a century. ” Priyanka Gandhi said in X.
Congress spokesperson Jairam Ramesh described Rahul Gandhi as an “experienced political and chess player”.
“The party leadership takes decisions after long discussions and as part of a larger strategy. This single decision has upset the Bharatiya Janata Party, its supporters and its sycophants.
Chanakya, a self-styled member of the Bharatiya Janata Party, who was talking about the Paraghat seat, is now at a loss as to how to react,” he posted on X. In 1967, 1971 and 1980, his wife, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, was elected. Arun Nehru was elected in 1980 and 1984. In 1989 and 1991, it was headed by Indira Gandhi’s aunt Sheila Kaur.
, in one of India’s biggest electoral disasters, Mr. Raj defeated Mr. Narain of the Janata Indira Gandhi Party. Ashok Singh of the Bharatiya Janata Party won in 1996 and 1998. Gandhi family advisor Satish Sharma won this seat in 1999 and Sonia Gandhi has represented it since 2004. Earlier this year, Sonia Gandhi decided to move to the Rajya Sabha.
A festive mood enveloped Rae Bareli as Rahul Gandhi arrived to cast his vote. Many residents, from shop owners to a group of district court lawyers, cited the strong emotional ties voters have with the Gandhi family. “I’m already 80 years old. “I saw all the candidates taking Gandhi to Sonia Gandhi,” said Lakshman Pandey,
a shop owner. “All development work in Rae Bareli was carried out exclusively by the Gandhi family.” Except between 1998 and 1999, the Nehru-Gandhi family or their associates defeated Rahul Gandhi in 2019.
The family members who have represented Amethi are Rahul Gandhi, his father Rajiv Gandhi, mother Sonia Gandhi, and uncle Sanjay Gandhi.
“KL Sharma has experience of working in the area. He used to take care of the people’s issues in the absence of Gandhi family members who have represented the constituency,” said Tipu Sultan, 31, a resident of Gauriganj, Amethi.
The BJP took potshots at the Gandhi family.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Rahul Gandhi had sensed “defeat” in Wayanad. “When their senior leader quit her Lok Sabha seat and entered Parliament through Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan, it was evident they sensed defeat,” he said, in an apparent dig at Sonia Gandhi.
“Now, the shehzada (prince) of Congress, who went to Wayanad after losing the Amethi seat, is also contesting from Rae Bareli. He knows he will lose Wayanad this time,” Modi said.
Union home minister Amit Shah said Rahul Gandhi will lose Rae Bareli. “Rahul Baba, I’m telling the result of Rae Bareli from here. Against BJP’s candidate Dinesh Pratap Singh, you will lose by a huge margin. Write down my words.” Union defence minister Rajnath Singh said Rahul Gandhi had left the battleground.
Irani said that the Gandhis’ absence from the electoral fray in Amethi indicated that the Congress had accepted defeat. “Gandhi family not being present in the election fray in Amethi indicates that Congress has accepted its defeat in Amethi even before the polling on the seat,” she said.
Criticism also came from the Left, which is fighting Rahul Gandhi in Wayanad.
“In our democracy, one person can contest on more than one seat… But this is unjust to the voters of Wayanad because he never intimated to the voters of Wayanad that he intends to contest another seat… It is about political morality…,” said Annie Raja, the Left’s candidate against Rahul Gandhi in Wayanad.