NE NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, MAY 3
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday filed his nomination papers from the Raebareli Lok Sabha seat while Kishori Lal Sharma filed his nomination for the Amethi Lok Sabha seat.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul’s mother and Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, his sister Priyanka Gandhi, brother-in-law Robert Vadra, former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, AICC general secretary K C Venugopal and a host of Congress leaders from UP, were present on the occasion.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s candidature from Rae Bareli is part of a larger strategy and Union Minister Smriti Irani’s political relevance over, party’s Communications Secretary Jairam Ramesh said.
Ramesh tweeted, “Many people have many opinions on the news of @RahulGandhi contesting elections from Rae Bareli. Remember, he is an experienced player of politics and chess. The party leadership takes its decisions after much discussion, and as part of a larger strategy.”
Saying the decision has befuddled the BJP, Ramesh said, “Rae Bareli has been the seat not only of Sonia ji but also of Indira Gandhi herself. It is not an inheritance; it is a responsibility and a duty.” He added, “As far as the Gandhi family is concerned, it is not just Amethi-Rae Bareli, the entire country from north to south is the stronghold of the Gandhi family. Rahul Gandhi has been MP thrice from Uttar Pradesh and once from Kerala. Why has the Prime Minister been unable to muster the courage to contest an election from a single seat below the Vindhyas? “
The Congress leader said, “Today, Smriti Irani’s only identity is that she contests elections from Amethi against Rahul Gandhi. Now, her political relevance is over. Instead of making meaningless statements, Smriti Irani will now have to answer about local development: closed hospitals, steel plants and IIITs,” Ramesh said. “This is a long election. There are a few chess moves still left to play. Let’s wait for a bit,” he said.
Raebareli, after Independence, has been won by the Congress except on three occasions.
Feroz Gandhi, husband of Indira Gandhi, first won Raebareli in 1952 and 1957, and after he died in 1960, R P Singh and Baijnath Kureel – both of Congress – won the seat till Indira Gandhi took it over in 1967.
In 1977, Raj Narain of Janata Party defeated Indira Gandhi but Raebareli went back to Indira Gandhi in 1980.
In 1996 and 1998, the seat was won by BJP’s Ashok Singh but during this period, no member of the Gandhi family was in active politics.
From 2004 to 2019, Sonia retained this seat.
