NEW DELHI: The suspense over the Congress’ selection to Amethi and Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seats finally came to an end on Friday. And yes, as party leader AK Antony had said almost a month ago, one Gandhi is in the fray in the politically important state of Uttar Pradesh. However, there are some twists to this story. As expected by many, Rahul Gandhi has decided not to return to Amethi and Priyanka Gandhi will also not make her voting debut from Rae Bareli.
Instead, the Congress fielded Rahul from Rae Bareli. Rahul is currently a Rajya Sabha member from Rajasthan in the seat vacated by his mother Sonia Gandhi. There were expectations that a member of the Gandhi family would be fielded to carry on Sonia’s legacy at Rae Bareli, which she has headed for two decades.
So why did Rahul choose Rae Bareli over Amethi?
“There is no battle for prestige.”
Rahul Gandhi is already in the midst of tackling what is perhaps his most difficult political challenge yet. After leading the great old party to two humiliating consecutive Lok Sabha defeats, the former Congress president faces the difficult task of ensuring the party bounces back in these elections and increases its seat count to respectable levels. are doing. In 2014, the Congress won 44 seats, the lowest in the party’s history, but in 2019, the party won only 52 seats.
Amethi, long a Gandhi stronghold, is no longer a cakewalk for the Congress. In 2019, Smriti Irani defeated Rahul Gandhi, ending his 15-year tenure in the constituency. The BJP has fielded Smriti again, but her presence will give Rahul and the Congress a formidable challenge. If Rahul had decided to contest from Amethi, it would have been a “prestige contest” and Congress leaders would have had to focus all their energies and resources on the seat. A second consecutive defeat in Amethi would have meant a huge loss of face for the leadership and the party.
“Safe seats in Congress”
Rae Bareli has been representing Sonia Gandhi for 20 years. This was the only seat won by the Congress in Uttar Pradesh in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. In fact, since independence, the Congress has continuously won seats, except on three occasions. Rahul hopes that Rae Bareli voters will continue to support the party. He has already called Rae Bareli the “Karmabhoomi of the family” and has sought the love and blessings of voters.
Alliance with Samajwadi Party
Uttar Pradesh is one of the few states where the Congress was able to achieve collaboration without major upfront trouble. The party is contesting 17 seats in the state in alliance with the Samajwadi Party. Rahul Gandhi and the Congress hope that the alliance with Akhilesh Yadav will help the great old party in this important seat. Out of the five parliamentary seats under the Rae Bareli government, four are held by the Samajwadi Party: Bahlawan (South Carolina), Hulchandpur, Sareni and Unchahar.
It remains to be seen whether Rahul Gandhi’s strategy of choosing Rae Bareli will be successful. As of now, he is facing intense opposition for releasing Amethi to Rae Bareli.
Instead, the Congress fielded Rahul from Rae Bareli. Rahul is currently a Rajya Sabha member from Rajasthan in the seat vacated by his mother Sonia Gandhi. There were expectations that a member of the Gandhi family would be fielded to carry on Sonia’s legacy at Rae Bareli, which she has headed for two decades.
So why did Rahul choose Rae Bareli over Amethi?
“There is no battle for prestige.”
Rahul Gandhi is already in the midst of tackling what is perhaps his most difficult political challenge yet. After leading the great old party to two humiliating consecutive Lok Sabha defeats, the former Congress president faces the difficult task of ensuring the party bounces back in these elections and increases its seat count to respectable levels. are doing. In 2014, the Congress won 44 seats, the lowest in the party’s history, but in 2019, the party won only 52 seats.
Expanding
Amethi, long a Gandhi stronghold, is no longer a cakewalk for the Congress. In 2019, Smriti Irani defeated Rahul Gandhi, ending his 15-year tenure in the constituency. The BJP has fielded Smriti again, but her presence will give Rahul and the Congress a formidable challenge. If Rahul had decided to contest from Amethi, it would have been a “prestige contest” and Congress leaders would have had to focus all their energies and resources on the seat. A second consecutive defeat in Amethi would have meant a huge loss of face for the leadership and the party.
“Safe seats in Congress”
Rae Bareli has been representing Sonia Gandhi for 20 years. This was the only seat won by the Congress in Uttar Pradesh in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. In fact, since independence, the Congress has continuously won seats, except on three occasions. Rahul hopes that Rae Bareli voters will continue to support the party. He has already called Rae Bareli the “Karmabhoomi of the family” and has sought the love and blessings of voters.
Alliance with Samajwadi Party
Uttar Pradesh is one of the few states where the Congress was able to achieve collaboration without major upfront trouble. The party is contesting 17 seats in the state in alliance with the Samajwadi Party. Rahul Gandhi and the Congress hope that the alliance with Akhilesh Yadav will help the great old party in this important seat. Out of the five parliamentary seats under the Rae Bareli government, four are held by the Samajwadi Party: Bahlawan (South Carolina), Hulchandpur, Sareni and Unchahar.
It remains to be seen whether Rahul Gandhi’s strategy of choosing Rae Bareli will be successful. As of now, he is facing intense opposition for releasing Amethi to Rae Bareli.
