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Rahul Gandhi Set to Face Off Against Smriti Irani in Amethi: Congress Plans Raebareli Debut for Priyanka Gandhi Vadra

Kalyani Jha
06 Mar, 2024

In the lead-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is gearing up for a significant electoral showdown in Uttar Pradesh's Amethi constituency against BJP MP Smriti Irani, whom he lost to in 2019. The news was shared by UP Congress District President Pradeep Singhal after a meeting in Delhi, indicating an impending announcement.

Additionally, there are strong indications that Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will make her electoral debut by contesting from UP's Raebareli constituency, a traditional Congress stronghold in the Hindi belt. This move is expected to further solidify the Gandhi family's legacy in the region.

The Congress party's Central Election Committee, led by leader Jairam Ramesh, is set to convene on March 7 to finalize the candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. This meeting holds significance as it will shape the party's electoral strategy and candidate selection process.

Amethi and Raebareli constituencies are historically significant for the Congress party, with Amethi being Rahul Gandhi's former parliamentary seat from 2002 to 2019. However, he faced defeat against Smriti Irani in 2019, marking a turning point in the electoral dynamics of the region. Raebareli, on the other hand, has been a Congress stronghold, represented by prominent leaders such as former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Congress leader Feroz Gandhi.

Uttar Pradesh is poised to witness intense electoral battles in the upcoming polls, with key players from both the BJP and Congress vying for supremacy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Rajnath Singh are among the prominent BJP leaders expected to contest from their incumbent seats of Varanasi and Lucknow, respectively.

In collaboration with Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party, the Congress has finalized a seat-sharing deal in Uttar Pradesh. The Congress will contest on 17 seats, while the SP will vie for the remaining 63 seats in the state. This strategic alliance aims to maximize the opposition's electoral prospects in the state.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the Congress faced a setback in Uttar Pradesh, winning only one seat, with veteran leader Sonia Gandhi emerging victorious from the Raebareli constituency. However, she opted to vacate the seat in favor of contesting the Rajya Sabha elections from Rajasthan, which she won unopposed in February.

The electoral schedule for the 543 constituencies is yet to be announced by the election body, but the political landscape in Uttar Pradesh is already buzzing with anticipation and speculation as parties gear up for a fierce electoral contest.