Congress has finally revealed its picks for the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections 2024, and it's all about the Gandhi family. Rahul Gandhi is set to contest from Rae Bareli, taking over the seat his mother, Sonia Gandhi, left vacant. Meanwhile, there's a surprise in store for Amethi, with K L Sharma chosen as the Congress candidate, a break from the usual Gandhi stronghold.
After much anticipation and speculation, the Congress party announced their candidates just hours before the nomination deadline. Rahul Gandhi's decision to contest from Rae Bareli, instead of attempting to reclaim Amethi from BJP's Smriti Irani, has stirred some interest. The Congress has opted to field K L Sharma in Amethi, a trusted figure who has long managed the Gandhis' affairs in the region.
The decision-making process involved intense discussions among top Congress leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge and K C Venugopal, along with the Gandhi siblings. Despite efforts to persuade Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to join the electoral race, she declined, preferring to focus on campaigning elsewhere.
The news comes as a disappointment to many Congress workers who had hoped for Priyanka's entry into electoral politics. Speculation had been rife for days, with uncertainty over whether one or both of the Gandhi siblings would contest, or if there would be a swap of constituencies.
Rahul Gandhi's choice to contest from Rae Bareli pits him against BJP's Dinesh Pratap Singh, who had previously challenged Sonia Gandhi in 2019. The delay in announcing the candidates had fueled speculation, with some attributing it to strategic considerations following Rahul's candidacy in Kerala's Wayanad.
For Congress loyalists, Rahul's decision to carry on the family legacy in Rae Bareli is reassuring, despite Priyanka's absence from the electoral fray. The Gandhi family has held significant sway in both Rae Bareli and Amethi for decades, making these constituencies crucial battlegrounds in the upcoming elections.
The decision not to field Rahul in Amethi could be a point of contention, with opponents likely to seize upon it as a sign of weakness. Nonetheless, Congress remains determined to defend its strongholds amidst a challenging political landscape.
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