Rae Bareli/Amethi, May 3 -- Congress scion Rahul Gandhi will vie for the Rae Bareli seat in Uttar Pradesh, a bastion traditionally held by his mother, Sonia Gandhi, for over twenty years.
The party has entrusted Kishori Lal Sharma, a longstanding confidant of the Gandhi family, with the candidacy for the Amethi constituency, as per the party's recent announcement. Sharma has been instrumental in managing the affairs of these two significant constituencies during the Gandhis' absence.
On the final day designated for nomination submissions, Rahul Gandhi and Sharma filed their official papers.
Rahul Gandhi was flanked by his mother Sonia Gandhi, sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and a host of senior party members, including Mallikarjun Kharge during the filing of his nomination papers for the Raebareli parliamentary seat on Friday.
Earlier that morning, the Congress and its ally, the Samajwadi Party (SP), showcased a united front as their workers converged at the Congress party's headquarters. Flags of both parties fluttered in unison, signalling unwavering support for Rahul, whose candidacy was unveiled amidst prolonged suspense, culminating on the final day of nomination filings.
Five years earlier in 2019, Rahul, then the incumbent MP of Amethi, suffered defeat at the hands of the BJP's Smriti Irani, marking a significant breach in the Congress bastion. Subsequently elected from Kerala's Wayanad constituency, Rahul's strategic decision to contest from Raebareli this time underscores a calculated bid to reclaim lost ground. Sonia Gandhi, who held the Raebareli seat until recently, opted not to contest, fueling conjecture about the party's next move in its traditional stronghold.
This marks the second instance where Sonia Gandhi has relinquished a seat for Rahul, following a similar handover in Amethi. Rahul's incursion into Raebareli has reignited fervent debate, elevating the political temperature amidst speculation over the Congress's electoral strategy. For weeks, the nation has been abuzz with discussions on the potential candidates for Raebareli and Amethi, constituencies deeply intertwined with the Congress legacy.
As the countdown to the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha polls on May 20 commences, all eyes are firmly fixed on the electoral battlegrounds of Raebareli and Amethi, poised to witness a showdown that could reshape the political landscape.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.