Congress has named Rahul Gandhi as the candidate in the family bastion of Rae Bareli on the final day for nominations, setting the stage for the Gandhis and an entourage of loyalists to air-dash to the UP constituency just in time for the Wayanad MP to file his second set of papers this election.
Congress’ nomination for Amethi, the other party fortress that Rahul contested and lost to BJP’s Smriti Irani in 2019, also went down to the wire. Gandhi loyalist Kishori Lal Sharma made the cut in a last-minute announcement, infusing some drama into the exercise as two Congress teams headed in different directions to beat the deadline.
My mother has entrusted me with the responsibility of serving the constituency with great faith and has given me the opportunity to serve the community. Amethi and Rae Bareli are not different for me; both are my family, and I am pleased that Kishori Lal ji, who has been serving the area for 40 years, will represent the party from Amethi,” Rahul wrote on X.
“In the fight against injustice, I seek the love and blessings of my loved ones. I believe that in this fight to save the Constitution and democracy, all of you are standing with me.” AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra quoted her mother Sonia Gandhi as telling her a few days ago, “My family in Delhi is incomplete; it becomes complete only in Rae Bareli.” Sonia has been MP from Rae Bareli, first represented by her father-in law Feroze Gandhi, since 2004.
Rahul arrived at Amethi’s Fursatganj by a charter plane at 10.30 am, accompanied by Sonia, Priyanka, brother-in law Robert Vadra, AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, and Congress veterans KC Venugopal and Ashok Gehlot.
The team split into two groups, with Priyanka and Gehlot going to Amethi while the rest proceeded to Rae Bareli. In Amethi, Priyanka joined nominee Sharma’s roadshow. While ditching Amethi, Rahul has chosen to contest from Rae Bareli because Sonia Gandhi had won the 2019 Lok Sabha poll from there with a huge margin, while in Amethi he lost the poll to BJP's Smriti Irani.
