Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is expected to contest her first election from the party’s stronghold of Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh, according to sources. This seat has been won three times by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi may make a comeback in the Congress’ other stronghold in Uttar Pradesh, Amethi, which he lost to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Smriti Irani in a surprising defeat in 2019. Additionally, Mr. Gandhi will also be contesting from his current seat of Wayanad in Kerala, where his victory in the previous election allowed him to maintain his Lok Sabha status.
Priyanka Gandhi’s Grand Entrance into Politics.
There has always been an aura of uncertainty surrounding Ms. Gandhi Vadra’s potential participation in elections. Prior to 2019, she sparked speculation by responding “why not” when asked if she would run from Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s stronghold. Her recent decision to enter the electoral fray follows her mother, former party chief Sonia Gandhi’s announcement that she would not contest from Raebareli, a constituency she has successfully represented five times in the past, including in 2019. In that particular election, she was the only Congress leader to secure a Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh.
Mrs. Gandhi’s transition from Lok Sabha to Rajya Sabha, having been elected from Rajasthan, was seen as a strategic move to signal a change in party leadership ahead of the general elections. Following Sonia Gandhi’s decision to step back from Raebareli, there was speculation that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who bears a striking resemblance to her grandmother Indira Gandhi, might finally decide to run for office. Posters in Raebareli this week even urged the Congress to nominate Ms. Gandhi Vadra as their candidate for the prestigious seat, emphasizing the need to continue the party’s developmental work in the region. The Congress has now heeded that call.
Rahul vs Smriti, Amethi 2.0
In 2019, Smriti Irani defeated Rahul Gandhi by a margin of over 55,000 votes, causing one of the biggest upsets in the election. The BJP has granted her the opportunity to defend her seat, and just last week, she issued a challenge to Mr. Gandhi. “In 2019, he left Amethi. Today, Amethi has left him. If he is truly confident, then let him fight from Amethi without resorting to Wayanad,” she stated to NDTV, as Mr. Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ made its way into the constituency. “The deserted roads speak volumes about the sentiments of the people towards Rahul Gandhi.”