Amethi or Rae Bareli? Congress has time till 3 pm today to decide Lok Sabha seat for Rahul Gandhi
Reports claim that Rahul Gandhi may contest from Rae Bareli, the seat represented by his mother Sonia Gandhi since 2004. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is said to be not willing to contest.
- May 3, 2024,
- Updated May 3, 2024 6:58 AM IST
The confusion over who will represent the Congress for the traditional Gandhi family seats of Amethi and Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh continues with the party keeping its options open till today, the last day for filing of nominations.
Reports claim that Rahul Gandhi may contest from Rae Bareli, the seat represented by his mother Sonia Gandhi since 2004. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is said to be not willing to contest.
The BJP announced the candidature of UP minister Dinesh Pratap Singh from Rae Bareli, where he lost to Sonia Gandhi in 2019 but did manage to halve her majority.
What is keeping Rahul Gandhi away?
A win in both Amethi and Wayanad will force him to pick one seat and give up the other – one which sent him to Parliament for the first time in 2004 and another which helped him retain the House seat in 2019. Wayanad is crucial for Congress for the 2026 assembly elections in Kerala.
All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that the deadline for filing nomination papers is 3 pm on May 3. Many reports indicate Gandhi family loyalist Kishori Lal is likely to contest from Amethi, which Rahul Gandhi lost to BJP's Smriti Irani in 2019.
BJP leader Irani has already filed her nomination papers for the Amethi seat. The Uttar Pradesh leadership of the Congress has already called upon the Gandhi family to contest both the seats that have been traditionally held it. The members of the Congress central election committee have also urged the party leadership to field both Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi.
Polling for the general elections began on April 19. The counting of votes will be taken up on June 4.
The confusion over who will represent the Congress for the traditional Gandhi family seats of Amethi and Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh continues with the party keeping its options open till today, the last day for filing of nominations.
Reports claim that Rahul Gandhi may contest from Rae Bareli, the seat represented by his mother Sonia Gandhi since 2004. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is said to be not willing to contest.
The BJP announced the candidature of UP minister Dinesh Pratap Singh from Rae Bareli, where he lost to Sonia Gandhi in 2019 but did manage to halve her majority.
What is keeping Rahul Gandhi away?
A win in both Amethi and Wayanad will force him to pick one seat and give up the other – one which sent him to Parliament for the first time in 2004 and another which helped him retain the House seat in 2019. Wayanad is crucial for Congress for the 2026 assembly elections in Kerala.
All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that the deadline for filing nomination papers is 3 pm on May 3. Many reports indicate Gandhi family loyalist Kishori Lal is likely to contest from Amethi, which Rahul Gandhi lost to BJP's Smriti Irani in 2019.
BJP leader Irani has already filed her nomination papers for the Amethi seat. The Uttar Pradesh leadership of the Congress has already called upon the Gandhi family to contest both the seats that have been traditionally held it. The members of the Congress central election committee have also urged the party leadership to field both Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi.
Polling for the general elections began on April 19. The counting of votes will be taken up on June 4.