New Delhi: The Congress is in no hurry over naming of candidates in the two high-profile parliamentary constituencies Amethi and Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh and will decide on the issue after April 26.
“At present, the entire focus is on Rahul Gandhi’s Wayanad seat where polling is on April 26. Amethi and Rae Bareli polling will be held on May 20. The window for nomination would be from April 27 to May 3. There is sufficient time to decide on the two VIP seats and a decision is likely only after April 26,” a senior AICC functionary said.
Over the past days, as the grand old party started naming 2024 Lok Sabha poll candidates, Amethi and Rae Bareli invited nationwide attention amid speculation that Rahul Gandhi may contest from Amethi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra from Rae Bareli.
In the 2019 national polls, Rahul Gandhi contested from both Amethi and Wayanad (Kerala) seats in his capacity as the Congress chief. He won from Wayanad but lost Amethi to BJP’s Smriti Irani.
In 2024, Rahul’s name figured in the first list of candidates announced by the Congress after he decided to contest again from Wayanad, leaving his supporters guessing about Amethi.
“Wayanad is like my home,” Rahul said after filing his nomination from the seat on April 3 amid a rousing welcome by the locals.
This time, the Congress is contesting 17/80 seats in UP while the Samajwadi Party will put up candidates on the remaining 63 seats as part of the INDIA alliance.
So far, the Congress has named candidates on 14 seats and only three Amethi, Rae Bareli and Prayagraj remain.
“There is an overwhelming demand from party workers that a member of the Gandhi family should contest from Amethi and Rae Bareli seats. The local party units have passed resolutions in support of the Gandhi family. But they alone will decide on the matter,” AICC general secretary in charge of Uttar Pradesh Avinash Pande told ETV Bharat.
According to party insiders, the Amethi and Rae Bareli seats have been discussed in the Congress Central Election Committee, which clears all candidates, and former party chief Sonia Gandhi has been authorized to take a final decision in the matter.
Rahul started his political journey from Amethi in 2004 and continued to represent the constituency till 2019. The name of Priyanka as a potential candidate from Rae Bareli seat surfaced after Sonia Gandhi decided not to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and opted to become a member of the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan.
Ex MLC and Amethi Congress leader Deepak Singh said though a decision was awaited on the two VIP seats, the party had started ground work.
“The high command will decide on the two seats at an appropriate time, but we have started preparing the ground. Local leaders are visiting the blocks to mobilize voters in both Amethi and Rae Bareli. The locals want only a Gandhi family member to be their candidate,” Deepak Singh told ETV Bharat.
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