New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi is likely to contest the Lok Sabha elections from the Rae Bareli seat vacated by his mother, while he is likely to field a supporter of the Congress leader from Amethi. Officials said Thursday. The party has not yet announced its candidates. An electoral district in Uttar Pradesh.
Friday is the last day to submit candidates for the seats that will go to the polls on May 20 in the fifth round of the seven-phase general election.
In response to a question, All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Jairam Ramesh said only that the deadline for filing nomination papers is May 3 at 3 pm.
Sources said the party has started preparing nominations for both seats, which have traditionally been held by members of the Gandhi-Nehru family.
Rahul Gandhi is likely to contest from Rae Bareli, a constituency fielded by his mother Sonia Gandhi, who became a Rajya Sabha MP, they said.
The BJP on Thursday announced Dinesh Pratap Singh as its candidate from Rae Bareli. He lost to Sonia Gandhi in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
Sources said Kishori Lal, a supporter of the Gandhi family, is likely to contest from Amethi, where Rahul Gandhi lost to Bharatiya Janata Party’s Smriti Irani in 2019.
Sources said that if Rahul Gandhi is fielded, Congress Party leader Sonia Gandhi is also likely to attend his nomination process.
They said the Congress is preparing Sheila Kaur, the grandson of a former Congress leader and Indira Gandhi’s aunt, as an alternative candidate.
Although the party is yet to make any formal announcement regarding its candidature, close aides to the Gandhi family have already prepared nomination papers for Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
Sources said Rahul Gandhi, who was in Shimoga, Karnataka, for a poll rally, and party president Mallikarjun Kharge held talks over his nomination.
Ahead of Friday’s nomination filing, posters and banners of Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav were also taken to the Congress office in Gauriganj, Amethi, late in the evening.
BJP leader Irani has already filed his nomination papers for the Amethi seat.
Congress leaders in Uttar Pradesh have already called on the Gandhi family to contest both seats traditionally held by the Congress.
Members of the Congress Central Election Committee also requested the party leadership to field both Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi.
However, the final decision must be taken by the Congarth leadership and the party’s founding family.
The Amethi seat has been represented by Rahul Gandhi since 2004, and he served as an MP for three consecutive terms from there until 2019. He currently represents the Wayanad constituency in Kerala and is also running from there.
Rahul Gandhi had earlier said he would follow “any orders” from the party.
Rae Bareli constituency was represented by Sonia Gandhi from 2004 to 2024 and is considered a traditional autonomous region of the Gandhi-Nehru family.
Prior to this, Sonia Gandhi entered politics and represented Amethi Lok Sabha constituency after contesting elections for the first time in 1999.
This seat was previously represented by Sanjay Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.
The Congress, as part of India Bloc, has an alliance with the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh and is contesting 17 seats in the state.
Voting for the general election will begin on April 19th, with vote counting to take place on June 4th.
Friday is the last day to submit candidates for the seats that will go to the polls on May 20 in the fifth round of the seven-phase general election.
In response to a question, All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Jairam Ramesh said only that the deadline for filing nomination papers is May 3 at 3 pm.
Sources said the party has started preparing nominations for both seats, which have traditionally been held by members of the Gandhi-Nehru family.
Expanding
The BJP on Thursday announced Dinesh Pratap Singh as its candidate from Rae Bareli. He lost to Sonia Gandhi in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
Sources said Kishori Lal, a supporter of the Gandhi family, is likely to contest from Amethi, where Rahul Gandhi lost to Bharatiya Janata Party’s Smriti Irani in 2019.
Sources said that if Rahul Gandhi is fielded, Congress Party leader Sonia Gandhi is also likely to attend his nomination process.
They said the Congress is preparing Sheila Kaur, the grandson of a former Congress leader and Indira Gandhi’s aunt, as an alternative candidate.
Although the party is yet to make any formal announcement regarding its candidature, close aides to the Gandhi family have already prepared nomination papers for Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
Sources said Rahul Gandhi, who was in Shimoga, Karnataka, for a poll rally, and party president Mallikarjun Kharge held talks over his nomination.
Ahead of Friday’s nomination filing, posters and banners of Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav were also taken to the Congress office in Gauriganj, Amethi, late in the evening.
BJP leader Irani has already filed his nomination papers for the Amethi seat.
Congress leaders in Uttar Pradesh have already called on the Gandhi family to contest both seats traditionally held by the Congress.
Members of the Congress Central Election Committee also requested the party leadership to field both Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi.
However, the final decision must be taken by the Congarth leadership and the party’s founding family.
The Amethi seat has been represented by Rahul Gandhi since 2004, and he served as an MP for three consecutive terms from there until 2019. He currently represents the Wayanad constituency in Kerala and is also running from there.
Rahul Gandhi had earlier said he would follow “any orders” from the party.
Rae Bareli constituency was represented by Sonia Gandhi from 2004 to 2024 and is considered a traditional autonomous region of the Gandhi-Nehru family.
Prior to this, Sonia Gandhi entered politics and represented Amethi Lok Sabha constituency after contesting elections for the first time in 1999.
This seat was previously represented by Sanjay Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.
The Congress, as part of India Bloc, has an alliance with the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh and is contesting 17 seats in the state.
Voting for the general election will begin on April 19th, with vote counting to take place on June 4th.
