Gandhis must contest from Amethi, Rae Bareli, says U.P. Congress chief
Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai on Saturday said the State unit has unanimously demanded that members of the Gandhi family contest the Lok Sabha election from Amethi and Rae Bareli.
Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Rai said: “We (State Election Committee) had earlier unanimously passed a resolution for the candidature [of members] from the Gandhi family in Amethi and Rae Bareli
The Gandhis have an emotional bond with Amethi and Rae Bareli, says Ajay Rai.
seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha election and our stand remains the same. We want both these seats to be contested by the Gandhi family.” He said the party’s
Central Election Committee, however, has to take the decision.
Mr. Rai, who is contesting from Varanasi against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said voters in Uttar Pradesh are fed up with the misrule of the BJP and trends from western U.P. in the initial two phases of the election validate it. “Common voters are eager to overthrow the ruling BJP. The misrule and antipoor policies of the saron party led to exploitation of the people,” he said.
Mr. Rai, a close aide of the Gandhi family, said the Gandhis must contest the Amethi and Rae Bareli seats as they share an emotional bond with the constituencies.
“I had visited Rae Bareli and Amethi. The mood of the public there is in favour of the Congress. These constituencies share an emotional bond with the Gandhi family. In Amethi, people are eager to correct the mistake of 2019 [where Rahul lost the seat to BJP’s Smriti Irani]. Both Rahulji and Priyankaji must contest,” he told The Hindu.