Amid the suspense over Congress nominees from Amethi and Rae Bareli, sources Thursday indicated that Rahul Gandhi is likely to contest from the seat he lost last time.
With Friday being the last date of filing of nominations, the party is expected to announce its candidates from the two prestigious constituencies tonight.
When asked, AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "I am hopeful that some formal announcement on Congress candidates from Amethi and Rae Bareli is likely to be made today." But, he added, that the nomination deadline is 3 PM on May 3.
The sources said the party has started making preparations for the nomination filing in both the seats in Uttar Pradesh, which have been traditionally held by members of the Gandhi-Nehru family.
They also said that the Congress has prepared an alternative plan in case Priyanka Gandhi Vadra does not contest from Rae Bareli, adding a grandson of former Congress leader and Indira Gandhi's aunt Sheila Kaul may be fielded from Rae Bareli.
They added that Rahul Gandhi is the most likely choice of the party for Amethi, a seat he lost to Smriti Irani in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
Congress Parliamentary Party chief Sonia Gandhi is also likely to attend the nomination filing Friday, the sources said.
Confidantes of the Gandhi family who held the fort at the ground level are already in Amethi and have prepared the nominations for the both Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, even though the party is yet to make any formal announcement.
Sources said Rahul Gandhi and party president Mallikarjun Kharge, who were both in Shimoga at a joint poll rally in Karnataka, held discussions over his nomination from Amethi.
Posters and banners of Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi party leader Akhilesh Yadav were also brought late evening in the Congress office in Gauriganj in Amethi ahead of Friday's nomination filing.
BJP candidate from Amethi Smriti Irani has already filed her nomination papers.
The Uttar Pradesh leadership of the Congress has already called upon the Gandhi family to contest both the seats traditionally held by their family.
The members of the central election committee has also urged the party leadership to field both Rahul and Priyanka, but the final call has to be taken by the top leadership and the first family of the Congress.
The Amethi and Rae Bareli constituencies go to polls on May 20 in the fifth round of the seven-phase general elections.
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