Lucknow: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will file his Lok Sabha elections’ nomination from Uttar Pradesh’s Rae Bareli, the family pocket borough vacated by his mother, Sonia Gandhi. Kishori Lal Sharma, Gandhi’s loyalist, will contest the polls from Amethi. The two seats, which used to be the Gandhi family’s strongholds, will go to polls on May 20.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge will reach Rae Bareli at 10:30 AM and will further reach Ahmedabad at 7:30 PM, informed Congress through a tweet.
Rahul Gandhi, the incumbent MP from Kerala’s Wayanad, will contest the Rae Bareli polls against BJP’s Dinesh Pratap Singh, whom Sonia Gandhi defeated in the 2019 general elections.
Kishori Lal Sharma is a close confidant of Rahul Gandhi’s in Amethi.
Rahul Gandhi represented the Amethi constituency in the Lok Sabha thrice — 2004, 2009, 2014. However, in 2019, he lost his family stronghold to BJP’s Smriti Irani. He was elected to the Lower House of Parliament from Kerala’s Wayanad.
Sonia Gandhi is likely to attend Rahul Gandhi’s nomination proceedings. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will accompany Kishori Lal Sharma. Rahul Gandhi
and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s supporters had already prepared their nomination papers.
BJP’s Smriti Irani has filed her nomination papers from Amethi.
The delay in announcing candidates on the two seats had prompted BJP’s attacks. The party attributed the delay to the Congress’s alleged lack of self-confidence.
Asked if he would contest the elections from Amethi, Rahul Gandhi last month said he would do what the party leadership decides.
Lok Sabha Election 2024: Phase-wise schedule:
• Phase 1- April 19
• Phase 2- April 26
• Phase 3- May 7
• Phase 4 – May 13
• Phase 5 – May 20
• Phase 6 – May 25
• Phase 7 – June 1
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