New Delhi: Congress right this moment ended the long-kept suspense over Rahul Gandhi’s candidature. Top Congress chief Rahul Gandhi will contest the Lok Sabha from Rae Bareli seat. The announcement comes as nomination course of for Amethi, Rae Bareli ends right this moment. The Congress additionally fielded KL Sharma from Amethi towards Smriti Irani.
Amethi and Rae Bareli are thought-about as conventional pocket boroughs of the Gandhi-Nehru household as its members have represented the seats for a number of a long time.
Congress releases one other listing of candidates for the upcoming #LokSabhaElections2024
Rahul Gandhi to contest from Raebareli and Kishori Lal Sharma from Amethi. pic.twitter.com/2w4QQcn9ok
— ANI (@ANI) May 3, 2024
Earlier, sources did say that Rahul Gandhi is more likely to contest from Amethi, however a closing announcement was awaited from the primary household of the Congress. Amid the mounting suspense, Congress common secretary Jairam Ramesh mentioned that ‘no person is scared.’ He additional mentioned that the social gathering’s central election committee (CEC) had empowered Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge to finalise the candidates for Amethi and Rae Bareli.
Before the announcement, Ramesh mentioned yesterday, “My expectation is that in the next 24-30 hours, the Congress president will finalise and a decision taken by him will be announced,” Ramesh mentioned in response to a query at a press convention on the AICC headquarters right here. “Till that is done all the information, all so-called office orders are fake.”
When requested why there was a delay in taking a call and if the Congress was “scared” in fielding Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, Ramesh mentioned yesterday, “There is no delay. Has the BJP announced its candidates in Rae Bareli? Smriti Irani is a sitting MP. Nobody is scared, discussions are ongoing, and the Congress president has been authorised.” “There is no delay, there is time till May 3,” he mentioned.
The state management in Uttar Pradesh had already urged the central election committee and the social gathering management to area Rahul Gandhi from Amethi and Priyanka from Rae Bareli. As hypothesis mounted, the Congress staff in Amethi on Tuesday additionally held a sit-in and demanded that the social gathering title a member of the Gandhi household as its candidate from the Amethi Lok Sabha constituency.
Amethi Lok Sabha Seat
The Amethi seat has been represented by Rahul Gandhi since 2004 and he remained a member of Parliament from the constituency for 3 consecutive phrases until 2019 when he was defeated by BJP’s Smriti Irani. Rahul Gandhi at the moment represents the Wayanad constituency in Kerala from the place he had additionally contested within the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Congress prime chief Rahul Gandhi had earlier mentioned that he’ll comply with ‘no matter order’ he will get from his social gathering.
Rae Bareli Lok Sabha Seat
The Rae Bareli constituency was represented by Sonia Gandhi from 2004 to 2024. Prior to that, Sonia Gandhi had represented the Amethi Lok Sabha constituency after she entered politics and contested for the primary time in 1999. The seat has beforehand been represented by Sanjay Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi.
The Congress has cast an alliance with the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh and is contesting 17 Lok Sabha seats within the state.
When Is The Voting In Amethi And Rae Bareli?
The Amethi and Rae Bareli seats are all set to go to polls on May 20 within the fifth spherical of the seven-phase common elections. The Lok Sabha Elections are being held in seven phases beginning April 19. The counting of votes will likely be taken up on June 4.
