In a sudden turn of events, Congress party leader and Member of Parliament Rahul Gandhi announced his decision to contest for the Raebareli seat in Uttar Pradesh in the forthcoming phase of the Lok Sabha Elections instead of Amethi, which had been previously represented by Rahul Gandhi’s father and former Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi. The constituency of Raebareli was previously held by his mother Sonia Gandhi. With Gandhi’s decision to contest from raebareli, the Congress party has passed the responsibility of Amethi to Kishori Lal Sharma, who has been a close confidant of the Gandhi family. The decision brings to light a significant shift in the political dynamics in both Amethi as well as Raebareli with a varied set opinions pouring in from a amongst the people residing in Raebareli.
While one set of people did not seem very keen on having Rahul Gandhi represnt their constituency, there were several others who showed their complete support to his candidacy for the Raebareli seat. In a conversation, when asked about their thoughts on the Congress leader’s candidacy for the Raebareli constituency, some Raebareli residents cited reasons why they opposed his decision. While one person pointed out that the Congress MP looked down upon the country’s military forces and displayed his mistrust in them by asking them for proofs and evidences, another person raised concerns regarding the things that the MP said. Referring to Rahul Gandhi’s statement where he measured atta in litres, the person remarked that the Congress party leader never knows what he says or what he is supposed to say. The resident further elaborated that Gandhi has a habit of intermixing words and doesn’t know how to talk.
However, on the other hand, there were several residents in Raebareli who expressed their support to Rahul Gandhi and his candidacy for the Raebareli Lok Sabha seat. One of the supporters said, “This is the Gandhi family’s citadel, Rahul will win,” while another supporter asserted,”I consider BJP as the worst party.”
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The candid conversation with the residents of Raebareli revealed that a large number of people believed that Raebareli was the citadel of the Gandhi family. The residents showed utmost confidence with regards to Congress’s victory in both the constituencies, Raebareli with Rahul Gandhi as well as Amethi with Kishori Lal Sharma.
One another resident of the city revealed that Raebareli was very happy with Rahul Gandhi contesting from the constituency while another stated,” Raebareli’s people were waiting for Rahul Gandhi. The People of Raebareli welcome Rahul gandhi with a grand gesture.”
The supporters of the Congress MP went on to assert that Rahul Gandhi was bound to win with five lac votes from the people of Raebareli, and that Rahul Gandhi or Priyanka Gadhi Vadra, it was the same thing for the constituency and the people of Raebareli.
Rahul Gandhi submitted his nomination papers for the Raebareli Constituency in the upcoming phase of the Lok Sabha Elections of 2024 on May 3. He was accompanied by prominent party leaders, including Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Party General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi, and her husband, businessman Robert Vadra to the Congress office in Raebareli as he filed his nomination seat.
This decision by Rahul Gandhi to contest from Raebareli came after Sonia Gandhi vacated the seat following her appointment to the Rajya Sabha. Rahul Gandhi, who currently represents Kerala’s Wayanad in the Lok Sabha, seeks re-election from a constituency that went to polls in the second phase of the general elections on April 26.
In Raebareli, Rahul Gandhi faces competition from Congress defector and three-time MLC Dinesh Pratap Singh. This unexpected move by Rahul Gandhi to contest from Raebareli surprised many, as there was anticipation for his return to the former stronghold of Amethi. In the 2019 elections, Rahul Gandhi lost the Amethi seat to Union Minister Smriti Irani. The shift from Amethi to Raebareli by the Congress party could potentially align with the BJP’s narrative.
Meanwhile, in Amethi, the Congress has nominated Kishori Lal Sharma, a loyalist of the Gandhi family, to contest in the Lok Sabha elections. Sharma filed his nomination earlier in the day, preparing for a contest against Union Minister Smriti Irani.