In a major development ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, senior Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi will not contest from Uttar Pradesh. It was earlier speculated that Rahul Gandhi could contest the elections from Amethi and Priyanka Gandhi from Raebareli, a seat which was previously held by Sonia Gandhi. Both the seats were considered bastions of the Gandhi family.
Rahul Gandhi to contest again from Wayanad
Ahead of the April 26 Lok Sabha polls, the predominantly rural constituency, known for its scenic beauty and rich biodiversity, has once again gained national attention as the Congress decided to field Gandhi again from its stronghold.
The political circles are abuzz with speculation, pondering whether Gandhi’s candidacy in Wayanad will bolster the Congress’s chances of securing victory in Kerala once again. In 2019, Gandhi’s presence in Wayanad proved instrumental as he clinched victory with an impressive margin of over four lakh votes. However, despite this triumph, Gandhi faced defeat in his traditional constituency, Amethi, Uttar Pradesh, losing to Smriti Irani of the BJP.
Smriti Irani attacks Rahul Gandhi
Earlier this month, Union Minister Smriti Irani made a scathing attack on former Congress president Rahul Gandhi alleging that he paid no attention on the development of Amethi when his mother’s government was at the Centre and his colleague Akhilesh Yadav’s government in Uttar Pradesh. They talked about Amethi being (their) family but did not fulfil the family responsibilities, Irani said. Stressing that Prime Minister Modi had come to Amethi in 2019 and said that he has come to bring a change and the way he has done development work in the last five years, Amethi looks changed today, Irani who is the sitting MP of Amethi said.
ALSO READ: Lok Sabha elections 2024: Pashupati Paras quits NDA, resigns from Union cabinet
