Sources indicate that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is unlikely to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, focusing instead on campaign activities. The decision follows ongoing uncertainty regarding Congress candidates for the significant Amethi and Raebareli seats in Uttar Pradesh.
It’s anticipated that Priyanka Gandhi will solely engage in election campaigning, with a final determination on Rahul Gandhi’s candidacy for Amethi or Raebareli expected within 24 hours.
This update follows suggestions made during the Congress Central Election Committee meeting, where there was strong support for the Gandhi siblings to represent Amethi and Raebareli. However, a definitive decision is pending.
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Both Amethi and Raebareli are scheduled for elections on May 20. In the 2019 polls, Rahul Gandhi lost Amethi to Union Minister Smriti Irani, marking a significant electoral shift in the Congress bastion he had held from 2004 to 2014.
Currently, Rahul Gandhi is vying for re-election from the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency in Kerala, which went to the polls on April 26. Additionally, Sonia Gandhi recently vacated the Raebareli seat to transition to the Rajya Sabha.
The ambiguity surrounding the Amethi-Raebareli candidacies was raised during a press conference on April 27, where Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge addressed BJP criticism of Rahul Gandhi’s choice to contest from Wayanad instead of Amethi. In response, Kharge highlighted similar electoral changes made by BJP leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Lal Krishna Advani.
