In a significant departure from tradition, the Congress is poised to enter the forthcoming Lok Sabha election without any member of the Gandhi family contesting from Uttar Pradesh, which boasts 80 parliamentary seats. This potential shift marks a historic moment in the annals of the Indian parliamentary elections, signaling a departure from the party's traditional bastions.
"The Amethi and Raebareli are Gandhi families' constituencies. Even the people of the region want both Rahul and Raebareli to contest from Amethi and Raebareli respectively. However, it is up to them to take a call," a senior Congress leader said.In 2019, veteran leader Sonia Gandhi emerged victorious in the Raebareli parliamentary constituency, securing the party's sole seat in UP. However, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who represented Amethi in Parliament from 2004 to 2019, suffered a defeat against BJPcandidate Smriti Irani. Sources indicate Rahul has declined to contest from Ame thi again, while his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has opted out of the elec toral fray in Raebareli.
Although there has been no official confirmation from the Congress, discussions have intensified following Rahul's nomination from Wayanad in Kerala, with no mention of Amethi in the the grand old party's first list of candidates, Despite ongoing speculation, some party leaders in UP maintain Rahul will contest from both Wayanad and Amethi, keeping the door open for last-minute changes.
"Rahul should contest from Amethi. The party should have declared his candidature when the leadership announced his candidature from Wayanad," one of the Congress leaders said, munching on laiya-channa (puffed rice and roasted gram) at party headquarters Nehru Bhavan in Lucknow. Other leaders suggest Priyanka should contest because Sonia Gandhi has opted for the Rajya Sabha instead of Rae bareli.
"If none of the members of the Gandhi family contest from UP, it would be catastrophic," opined majority of the Congress leaders.
Sources reveal Priyanka, witnessing the party's dwin- dling fortunes in UP, has re- frained from starting her political journey from Raebareli, her mother's constituency With Sonia refusing to contest owing to her age and health, Priyanka has chosen to remain unattached to any particular constituency, focusing instead on campaigning for the party nationwide.
Recently, the UP Congress had passed a resolution urging the Gandhi family members to contest from Amethi and Raebareli. State Congress president Ajay Rai underscored the significance of the family's presence in the con- stituencies, emphasising their role in the party's elec toral prospects in the state. As the party navigates this historic shift in UP, the absence of a Gandhi family member in the electoral battlefield underscores a new chapter in the political landscape, prompting discussions and recal- ibrations within the party's ranks ahead of the forthcoming Lok Sabha election.
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