There was a nationwide political controversy when Kishori Lal Sharma, a close aide of Rahul Gandhi, was given the candidacy for Amethi while Rahul Gandhi took the candidacy for Raebareli. Many have criticized this decision as a 'cowardly' move. Earlier, there were speculations about the Raebareli and Amethi constituencies for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, as no candidates had been nominated until May 2.
Why Is Amethi Important For Congress?
Amethi has been an important place for the Congress constituency as consecutive success for 50 years as the people are in favor of the party and Loyal to the Gandhi family therefore, winning the Amethi and Raebareli seats lie important to the party.
Speculations Against The Move
There are speculations regarding Rahul Gandhi's decision to nominate himself for the Raebareli constituency instead of Amethi. It is believed that the move was made to avoid the possibility of him losing the Amethi seat to Union Minister Smriti Irani once again.
Political Stir Caused By The Decision
The decisions announced on May 3 about the candidacy of Raebareli caused a lot of criticism that was received by Congress and Rahul Gandhi which caused havoc in the media.
PM Narendra Modi, while criticising Rahul Gandhi, stated, "Bhaago Mat, Daro Mat," mocking Gandhi's slogan during 'Bharat Jodo' mission, "Daro Mat" in his latest speech on May 3.
Smriti Irani, who is going to contest in Amethi against Kishori Lal Sharma also reposted PM's tweet.
#Fattupappu Trends On X
Along with #fattupappu, darpok and daro mat bhaag jao also trended on X as netizens criticised the decision through memes being aggressively posted using the tags.
There is speculation that Rahul Gandhi's decision to run for candidacy in Raebareli is due to an emotional letter written by his mother, Sonia Gandhi, earlier this year, conveying her withdrawal from participating in the Lok Sabha elections 2024
With the candidates now nominated, Rahul Gandhi will contest for the Raebareli constituency against Dinesh Pratap Singh. Meanwhile, Smriti Irani and Kishori Lal Singh will compete for the Amethi constituency.
