Gandhi siblings' Ayodhya stop likely before Amethi, Raebareli visits: Sources

Gandhi siblings’ Ayodhya stop likely before Amethi, Raebareli visits: Sources

Rahul Gandhi will be in the fray in the second phase of polls on April 26. Gandhi, who is the Congress’s sitting MP from Wayanad, will be up against Communist Party of India (CPI) leader Annie Raja. With the Wayanad seat contest wrapping up, all eyes are now on the electoral landscape of Raebareli and Amethi in Uttar Pradesh.

Nominations for the key constituencies of Amethi and Raebareli are set to open on the same day, April 26. Sources said that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Rahul Gandhi are likely to visit Ayodhya and pray at Ram Mandir before they head to Amethi and Raebareli.

Congress sources suggest that there is a strong possibility that Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra could contest from these constituencies.

While India Today has learnt from party sources that any formal announcement or progress on this front may not materialise before April 30, speculation is rife within the party circles. Congress leaders have remained tight-lipped about the potential candidacies of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi for the two UP seats.

Adding to the buzz, sources also indicate a possible visit by Priyanka and Rahul Gandhi to Ayodhya to seek blessings from Ram Lala before they move to Amethi and Raebareli. However, there is no official confirmation of this development.

A senior Congress leader hinted at the possibility of back-to-back nominations if both leaders decide to contest, leaving a narrow window between May 1 and May 3 for the nomination filing. May 3 is the last day for nominations, adding urgency to the decision-making process within the Congress camp.

Rahul Gandhi made his political debut in Amethi in 2004 and won the seat thrice before he was defeated by BJP’s Smriti Irani in 2019. However, Gandhi managed to secure a Lok Sabha seat from Wayanad.

Raebareli has been the Congress stronghold since 2004. Sonia Gandhi held the Raebareli seat since 2004. However, in February, Sonia Gandhi was elected to the Rajya Sabha and announced that she would not be contesting from Raebareli in the 2024 general elections. Notably, Raebareli was the only seat in Uttar Pradesh where the Congress managed to win in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.Â

There has been constant speculation whether the Congress bastions of Raebareli and Amethi in Uttar Pradesh will get a Gandhi contender in this year’s Lok Sabha elections.Â

Both the constituencies will vote in the fifth phase on May 20.

Watch Live TV in English

Watch Live TV in Hindi