In an exclusive interview with India Today, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra stated that she chose not to contest the Lok Sabha elections to focus on campaigning for the party nationwide. She explained that if both she and Rahul Gandhi ran in the elections, it would benefit the BJP.
Priyanka Gandhi stated, “I have been campaigning in Raebareli for the past 15 days. The Gandhi family has a long-standing relationship with Raebareli, and people expect us to visit and interact with them. We cannot win elections here through remote control.”
In addition to Wayanad in Kerala, Rahul Gandhi is contesting from Raebareli, the family’s stronghold. This seat was previously held by his mother, Sonia Gandhi, who transitioned to the Rajya Sabha earlier this year.
Priyanka Gandhi explained that if both she and her brother Rahul had contested the elections, they would have needed to spend at least 15 days in their respective constituencies.
The Congress general secretary said, “If both of us had contested, we would have had to stay in our own constituencies for 15 days. Therefore, we decided it would be more appropriate for one of us to campaign across the entire country.”
When asked about the possibility of running for office in the future, the Congress leader gave an evasive response.
“I have never considered becoming a parliamentarian or contesting elections. I want to work for the party in whatever role they assign me. If people believe I need to contest, then I will,” she said.
Responding to the BJP’s accusation that she avoided the elections out of fear of losing, Priyanka Gandhi stated that the Congress party was not following the BJP’s strategy.
The BJP, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, also criticized Rahul Gandhi for abandoning his former seat of Amethi. In the 2019 elections, BJP’s Smriti Irani defeated Rahul Gandhi, a three-term MP, by 55,000 votes.
Addressing the BJP’s criticism, Priyanka affirmed that the Congress party would never abandon Amethi and Raebareli. “The relationship between Congress and these two constituencies is unique,” she said.
She also questioned why PM Modi did not contest elections in Gujarat’s Vadodara. “Is PM Modi scared? Why hasn’t he contested in Vadodara after 2014? Has he run away from Gujarat?” Priyanka questioned.
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