Congress made a significant announcement by putting forward Rahul Gandhi as their candidate for Uttar Pradesh’s Rae Bareli seat and Kishori Lal Sharma. Rahul Gandhi on Friday said filing his nomination papers from Uttar Pradesh’s Raebareli, a seat that was held by his mother for 20 years, was an emotional moment for him. He said his mother had entrusted him with the responsibility of his family’s ‘karmabhoomi’ (workplace) and the opportunity to serve the people of the constituency. The constituency has also been represented by family members and friends of the Gandhi-Nehru family the same way the Kannauj seat has a history with CM Akhilesh Yadav.
Rahul Gandhi will face off against Dinesh Pratap Singh in the upcoming elections. The BJP recently declared Singh as their candidate for the Raebareli constituency. It’s noteworthy that Singh had previously contested against Sonia Gandhi in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections but was unsuccessful.
There’s a growing worry that Rahul Gandhi’s decision to change his constituency might work in favor of the BJP, especially considering Union Minister Smriti Irani’s win in Amethi back in 2019. The seasoned BJP figure is prepared to hold onto the seat, asserting that the Congress’s delay in finalizing its candidate was due to their fear of her impending victory.
On the other hand, there were mixed reactions from people in Kerala’s Wayanad. Annie Raja, who is running as the CPI candidate for the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat in Kerala, expressed her discontent on Friday, May 3, when Rahul Gandhi, a prominent Congress figure, submitted his nomination from Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh. Raja stated that this move by Gandhi was unfair to the voters of Wayanad.
In Muttil, Wayanad, M K Ali, an IUML worker, expressed his support for Rahul’s decision to run in Rae Bareli. He mentioned that many people are talking about Rahul’s decision, and most of them see it as a strong response to the BJP’s campaign. Ali believes that if Rahul’s candidacy in Rae Bareli helps the broader INDIA bloc secure more seats, there shouldn’t be any objections. He noted that when Rahul decided to contest in Wayanad, there were already rumors that he might run from another constituency. While Wayanad seems like a certain win for Rahul, the outcome in Rae Bareli is uncertain. However, Ali emphasized that Rahul cannot neglect Wayanad.
Yet, PK Kunhalikutty, a seasoned leader of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), argued that there’s nothing objectionable about Rahul Gandhi’s choice to also run from Raebareli. According to Kunhalikutty, the IUML had requested the Congress party’s national leadership to consider Rahul contesting from an additional seat besides Wayanad. He pointed out that Prime Minister Modi had contested from two seats in the past, suggesting that Rahul’s decision could provide a positive boost for the INDIA bloc.
Raebareli and Amethi are scheduled for voting in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha Elections, set for May 20. Rahul Gandhi has previously contested and won the Lok Sabha elections from Kerala’s Wayanad constituency in 2019. Wayanad held its elections earlier, during the second phase on April 26.
