The Congress made a last-minute decision, announced after midnight, regarding Amethi and Raebareli, which included a major twist. Rahul Gandhi, who was anticipated to aggressively contest to reclaim Amethi, has been declared as the party candidate for Raebareli, the constituency recently vacated by his mother Sonia Gandhi upon her move to the Rajya Sabha.

In Amethi, the traditional family stronghold that shifted allegiance to the BJP five years ago, the Congress has chosen KL Sharma, a long-time loyalist of the Gandhi family, as its representative. Despite efforts, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra declined to contest from Raebareli, a constituency she had nurtured on her mother’s behalf for over a decade.

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Both candidates will submit their nomination papers today, which marks the final day for nominations for the fifth phase of elections scheduled for May 20.

Congress Announced Its Decision On Amethi and Raebareli

The Congress announced its decision on Friday after weeks of suspense.

Concerns arise that Rahul Gandhi’s seat change could benefit the BJP, especially considering Union minister Smriti Irani’s victory in Amethi in 2019. The senior BJP leader is prepared to defend her seat and has stated that the delay by Congress was due to their reluctance, anticipating her victory.

Many leaders within the Congress suspect that Ms. Vadra’s decision not to contest could contribute to the party’s discomfort. They believe it may create a negative perception that could affect the election outcome across the country. The Congress is contesting on 330 seats out of the 353 seats still left for polling.

Sources indicate that Ms. Vadra’s reluctance stemmed from the potential reinforcement of BJP’s allegations of dynasty politics if she were to win from Raebareli, joining her mother Sonia Gandhi in Rajya Sabha and her brother Rahul Gandhi, who has contested from Kerala’s Wayanad.

A victory for Mr. Gandhi in both Raebareli and Wayanad could pose a dilemma for the party as he would need to vacate one of the seats, both of which have equal claims on him.

While Raebareli holds the status of a decades-old family bastion, Wayanad remains a Congress stronghold that elected him to the Lok Sabha when Amethi faced a setback. However, this is a challenge the Congress can address at a later time.

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