Rahul Gandhi, the Congress leader, filed his nomination papers today for the Raebareli Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh, with his mother Sonia Gandhi and sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra by his side. Alongside Mr. Gandhi as he turned in the paperwork at the district magistrate’s office were Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Priyanka Gandhi’s husband Robert Vadra.
The Congress leadership unveiled their nominees for Amethi and Raebareli, two prominent seats, early this morning. The Congress selected Kishori Lal Sharma for the Amethi seat, which Mr. Gandhi has represented three times in the Lok Sabha, ending rumors that he might run for the seat.
Rae Bareli is considered one of the safest seats for the Congress. Out of the 20 elections it has witnessed so far, the Congress has won 17. History, however, also records an odd distinction for this seat — Raebareli is the seat from where a sitting Prime Minister lost an election. This was when Indira Gandhi was defeated by Janata Party’s Raj Narain in the 1977 elections after Emergency. Earlier, the seat has been represented by Mr Gandhi’s grandfather and Indira Gandhi’s husband, Feroze Gandhi.
The seat has elected Sonia Gandhi for the last 20 years. This seat remained with the Congress despite the BJP’s wave of support in 2014 and 2019. Since Mrs. Gandhi moved to the Rajya Sabha, her son has been able to take up the prestigious seat. Dinesh Pratap Singh, the BJP candidate who came in second in the 2019 election, will face Mr. Gandhi in Raebareli.
Congress chooses Amethi Mr. Sharma has long served as the Gandhi family’s devoted ally and has been an MP representing the two constituencies. Congressmen claim he is a man of the people, and they anticipate this will show in the polls.
Speaking to news agency ANI, Mr Sharma said he has been working in Amethi for 40 years now. “I came here in 1987 as a Youth Congress member and from then I have been here. I started my career with Rajiv (Gandhi) ji. In 1987, Rajivji brought me here. Then the circumstances were such that I stayed here,” he said.
Ms Gandhi Vadra praised Mr Sharma and wished him luck. “Kishori Lal Sharma shares a bond with our family. He has been dedicated to serving the people of Amethi and Rae Bareli. His zeal for public service is an example,” she said. “It is heartening that the Congress has named him its candidate from Amethi. His dedication and sense of duty will surely bring him success in this election,” she posted on X.
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