Congress president Malikarjun Kharge will decide the party's candidate for Amethi and Raebareli Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, sources said on Saturday.
“All CEC [Central Election Committee] leaders asked Kharge and Sonia Gandhi to field Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra from the two seats," sources added.
The Congress is yet to announce candidates for high-profile Amethi and Raebareli Lok Sabha seats.
This year, Sonia Gandhi moved to the Rajya Sabha, saying she will not contest the Lok Sabha seat this time.
Amethi and Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituencies will vote in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections on May 20.
Congress president Malikarjun Kharge will decide the party's candidate for Amethi and Raebareli Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, sources said on Saturday.
“All CEC [Central Election Committee] leaders asked Kharge and Sonia Gandhi to field Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra from the two seats," sources added.
The Congress is yet to announce candidates for high-profile Amethi and Raebareli Lok Sabha seats. The voting for two phases of Lok Sabha 2024 have already concluded. Third phase of polling will take place on May 7. The election will take on seven phases and the results will be announced in June 4.
Amethi and Raebareli are key seats
Both Amethi and Raebareli hold importance for the Congress in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Congress Rahul Gandhi was defeated by Union minister and BJP leader Smriti Irani in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Amethi. Irani has again been fielded by the BJP from the seat. Before 2019 debacle, Amethi was a Congress stronghold.
The Raebareli seat too is a bastion of the Congress, since 1960 with both Feroze Gandhi and Indira Gandhi having represented it. Sonia Gandhi has been the MP from the constituency since she won the 2006 by-poll. This year, Sonia Gandhi moved to the Rajya Sabha, saying she will not contest the Lok Sabha seat this time.
Speculations are now rife that Priyanka Gandhi may contest the Raebareli seat this time. Her posters were seen in the constituency just ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.
Robert Vadra, the husband of Priyanka Gandhi, had earlier expressed his desire to contest from the Amethi parliamentary seat. He later said that the entire country wishes for him to get into active politics. He also said that Smriti Irani, the sitting MP from Amethi has not fulfilled her promises.
Amethi and Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituencies will vote in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections on May 20.
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