A large section of the Congress wants to see Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as a candidate in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from Raebareli or Amethi, the old stronghold of the Gandhi family. Nothing is finalized yet. However, according to sources, discussions on this issue have started at the top level of the Congress.
In the last Lok Sabha elections, Rahul Gandhi himself lost in Amethi, the old stronghold of the Gandhi family. He won the Lok Sabha from Kerala’s Wayanad. Whether Rahul Gandhi will again be a candidate from Amethi in the next Lok Sabha elections is not yet certain. In that case Priyanka should be nominated from Amethi, according to a section of the Congress. Many feel that if Priyanka really decides to contest the polls, she may choose Sonia Gandhi’s Lok Sabha constituency Raebareli. Because, the chances of Sonia becoming a candidate in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in an ill condition are very low.
Statements from Congress sources
According to Congress sources, if Priyanka is a candidate from Amethi instead of Raebareli, someone from the family of late Congress leader Sheila Kaul may be a candidate from Raebareli. Sheila was Indira Gandhi’s aunt. She also became an MP from Raebareli twice. Priyanka stays at that family’s house when she goes to Lucknow. Sheila’s son, former ITBP DG Gautam Kaul or grandson Ashish could be considered as candidates for Raebareli.
Although the Congress leaders did not want to open their mouths on this issue, Uttar Pradesh Congress leader Ajay Rai recently fuelled speculations on the whole issue. Claiming that Rahul will be a candidate again from Amethi, Ajay said that the people of Amethi want Rahul. They want to correct their mistakes. According to Congress sources, Amethi has emerged as a fairly safe Lok Sabha seat in the party’s internal survey at the moment.
In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Rahul Gandhi defeated Smriti Irani in Amethi by over one lakh votes. But in 2019 Rahul lost to Smriti by more than 55 thousand votes. Sonia, however, won from Raebareli. But now Amethi is a safer seat than Raebareli, according to the Congress survey. That is why Priyanka’s name is being discussed in Amethi. Congress leaders, however, are reminding us that no matter how much they talk about it, ultimately the Gandhi family will make the final decision.
Nadda took the report of 9 states
Lok Sabha elections are next year. Before that, assembly elections in nine states will be held this year. In preparation for this, BJP president JP Nadda held a meeting with the party’s national secretaries the day before yesterday and took a report on the poll-bound states. Preparations for the meeting of BJP’s National Working Committee on January 16 and 17 were also discussed in the seven-hour meeting. Assembly polls will be held in Karnataka and Tripura between March and May. In these two states, the ruling BJP is not in a favorable position. There was a discussion about how to increase the organizational strength at the booth level to deal with it.