The suspense over who the Congress will field from Amethi or Raebareli, the party's bastions in Uttar Pradesh, for the upcoming Lok Sabha election has intensified. While there have been speculations senior leader Rahul Gandhi will contest from either of the constituencies, he has kept mum over the issue.
'This is BJP's question'
On Wednesday, Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav held a joint press conference in Ghaziabad. At the press conference, the Congress' Wayanad MP took a jibe at a reporter when he was asked about whether he will contest the general assembly polls from Amethi or Raebareli.
"This is BJP's question, very good. Whatever order I will get, I will follow it. In our party, all these (selections of candidates) decisions are taken by the CEC (Congress' Central Election Committee)," he said.
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Suspense over Amethi and Raebareli
This comes a day after Congress MP Jairam Ramesh said that the Congress wants Rahul Gandhi to contest from the Amethi seat and Priyanka Gandhi from Raebareli. "We hope that he will contest elections from here," Ramesh reportedly said.
Robert Vadra's interest in entering politics
Earlier this month, Priyanka Gandhi's husband Robert Vadra expressed interest in entering politics and contesting from Amethi. "If I would contest, I would prefer Amethi. My first step in politics should be Amethi," Vadra said on April 4.
It would be 'either Priyanka or Rahul'
Following this, Congress Working Committe member AK Antony on April 11 confirmed to a TV channel in Thiruvananthapuram that one person from the Gandhi family would contest from either Raebareli of Amethi. Furthermore, he said that "either Priyanka or Rahul" would run from either of these two constituencies, effectively quashing Vadra's statement.
Rahul Gandhi has filed nomination from Kerala's Wayanad constituency after securing victory from there in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. However, he lost the Amethi seat to BJP's Smriti Irani at the time.