'Dono mein jeetengey': Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Congress' prospects from Amethi, Rae Bareli

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday said that the grand old party will win from both Amethi and Rae Bareli seats. Vadra's brother and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as well as Gandhi family loyalist Kishori Lal Sharma have filed their nomination letters from Rae Bareli and Amethi respectively. 

Rahul Gandhi reached Amethi with his mother Sonia Gandhi, sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and brother-in-law Robert Vadra for filing his nomination. Former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot was also present at the occasion. 

"Dono mein jitengey... bilkul pakka jitengey (We will win both Amethi and Rae Bareli seats), we will definitely win," Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra told news agency PTI. Gandhi had lost Amethi constituency in 2019 but won from Wayanad in Kerala--- a seat he is contesting this time as well. 

While Priyanka Vadra was gung-ho about her brother's win from Rae Bareli and KL Sharma's victory from Amethi, sitting MP Smriti Irani mocked the Congress for not fielding any Gandhi family member against her. Her comments came after the Rahul Gandhi announced his candidature from Rae Bareli and KL Sharma was fielded from Amethi. 

"The Gandhi family not being present in the election fray in Amethi indicates that the Congress has accepted its defeat in Amethi even before the polling on the seat," the BJP told the reporters.

She added that the Gandhi family would not have fielded a "proxy", referring to KL Sharma, from Amethi had they felt there was a chance of winning from the seat. 

"Had they felt that there was any chance of victory on the seat, they would have contested from here and not fielded their proxy," she said soon after the Congress announced its pick for Amethi and Rae Bareli. Rahul Gandhi held the Amethi Lok Sabha seat for three consecutive terms from 2004 till 2019. 

In 2019, BJP's Smriti Irani defeated Rahul Gandhi by more than 55,000 votes. The Rae Bareli seat was held by Sonia Gandhi for around two decades from 2004. Earlier this year, Sonia Gandhi announced her decision to not contest the Lok Sabha polls 2024 and went to the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan. Polling in Rae Bareli and Amethi will take place on May 20.