Rahul Gandhi Opts Out of Amethi and Rae Bareli Contests; Congress To Declare Candidates Soon
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has made it clear that he will not be contesting from the traditional strongholds of Amethi or Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh, as per the Hindustan Times. This decision by the party marks a significant shift in Congress’ electoral strategy, as the two Uttar Pradesh constituencies have long been associated with the Gandhi family.
According to the Hindustan Times report, Rahul Gandhi is resolute in his decision, expressing a reluctance to field any family member in these crucial seats. Despite efforts from party President Mallikarjun Kharge to persuade him otherwise, Gandhi seems steadfast in his resolve.
Instead of contesting from Uttar Pradesh, Rahul Gandhi has scheduled a rally in Pune on May 3, coinciding with the last date of nominations for Phase 5 of the elections.
Interestingly, during a recent interaction with Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Akhilesh Yadav, Gandhi sought his opinion on the matter. Yadav reportedly endorsed Gandhi”s candidature, citing strong local support. However, the Wayanad candidate ultimately decided against contesting, citing concerns over dynastic politics or parivarwaad criticism by the BJP ahead of the elections, reported the Hindustan Times.
Based on the atmosphere in the region, local party leaders have been looking forward to the Gandhi siblings contesting from the two constituencies to revive and strengthen the Congress’ influence in Uttar Pradesh.
With siblings Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi opting out of the contest, the Congress will have to find suitable candidates for Amethi and Rae Bareli. Following intense speculation about the potential candidates for the Lok Sabha constituencies, the party’s General Secretary, Jairam Ramesh, announced in a recent press conference that the Congress Election Committee has given the power to party president Kharge to declare the candidates for Amethi and Rae Bareli.
Ramesh revealed that within the next 24–30 hours, the party president will officially announce the candidate names. Until then, “all information, tickers, and office orders are all fake,” he added.
#WATCH | Congress leader Jairam Ramesh says, “…Congress Central Election Committee has empowered the party President to declare candidates for Amethi and Rae Bareilly seats. In the next 24-30 hours, the Congress President will finalise the candidates, and his decision will be… pic.twitter.com/tps3nVOnmx
— ANI (@ANI) May 1, 2024
Notably, the ruling BJP, too, has not disclosed its candidates for these constituencies. While Smriti Irani remains a frontrunner in Amethi as per the BJP”s internal surveys, Rae Bareli presents a tougher challenge for the ruling party.
