cong-candidates-from-amethi-raebareli-will-be-announced-soon-kharge

It has been learnt that Congress leaders at the party’s Central Election Committee meeting told party president Mallikarjun Kharge to make Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra the candidates from Amethi and Raebareli, said sources.

 

This request has come amid speculation of Gandhi siblings being fielded from the party’s traditional bastions.

 

Although the final decision will, reportedly, be taken by Kharge, the leaders, including the Congress general secretary-in-charge of Uttar Pradesh, strongly pitched for Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as the party’s candidates, say sources.

 

Kharge is keeping the suspense alive on the seats future. When asked about the Congress candidates from Amethi and Raebareli constituencies, he said their names would be announced in a “few days”.

 

“You have to wait for a few more days. When the names of candidates come from people to me and I sign the notification, it will be announced,” he said at a press conference in Guwahati.

 

When asked about the Bharatiya Janata Party criticising Rahul Gandhi for fighting the elections from Kerala’s Wayanad and Amethi, Kharge said, “Those who are questioning Congress leaders for changing constituencies must look at themselves first and also tell how many times have (Atal Bihari) Vajpayee and (Lal Krishna) Advani changed their seats.”

 

The nation seems to have their eye on Amethi and Raebareli constituencies as they were Congress bastions. In Amethi, Rahul Gandhi won in 2004, 2009 and 2014, but was defeated in 2019 by BJP leader Smriti Irani.

 

In Raebareli, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi had represented the seat since 2004 but vacated it earlier this month as she shifted to the Rajya Sabha.

Both Amethi and Raebareli will vote in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections on May 20.