Rahul Gandhi Will Contest 2024 Lok Sabha Polls From Amethi, Claims Newly Elected UP Congress President

Lok Sabha 2024: Rahul Gandhi is likely to contest the Amethi seat in a bid to win back what was regarded as a Gandhi family bastion till BJP's Smriti Irani wrested it from him in 2019.

Rahul Gandhi is likely to contest the Amethi seat in the Lok Sabha polls next year.

Source : PTI

Newly appointed Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai on Friday claimed that party MP Rahul Gandhi will contest the 2024 Lok Sabha polls from Amethi. When asked which seat Rahul Gandhi will contest in the Lok Sabha polls, Ajay Rai said, "Of course, Rahul Gandhi will contest the Amethi seat. The people of Amethi have come here and if Priyanka Gandhi's wish is to contest from Varanasi, each of our workers will die for her success."

Commenting about incumbent Amethi MP, Smriti Irani, Ajay Rai said, "She has gone berserk. She said she would bring down the cost of sugar to Rs 13 per kg. Could she do it? We promise to hoist the Congress flag in every election."

Later elaborating his remarks on Rahul Gandhi's candidature from Amethi, Rai said: "It is the demand of the Congress workers and the public there. Congress workers want to work on their shortcomings to make sure Rahul Gandhi wins from Amethi."

"Congress workers demand that Priyanka Gandhi be established as a strong leader. It is their (Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi) personal decision on where to contest from. We will give our best performance to ensure their win whichever seats they contest," he told ANI.

When asked if he will again contest against Prime Minister Modi in the Varanasi constituency, the UP Congress chief said, "I am standing in front of you, it is up to what the party high command and INDIA alliance decide."

Rahul Gandhi lost the Amethi Lok Sabha seat, considered a Congress Bastion, to BJP's Smriti Irani in 2019. This was the biggest upset that year for the Congress, which was already dealing with massive losses across India. Smiriti Irani trumped Rahul Gandhi, who was the Congress president back then, by 55,120 votes as the latter could bag only 4,13,394 votes.

Till Rahul Gandhi's defeat in 2019, the Amethi seat had been regarded as a Gandhi fortress which has been held by the Congress since the constituency first went to polls in 1967 — with the exceptions of the 1977 and 1998 elections. The Amethi was previously held by Rahul's uncle Sanjay Gandhi (1980-81) and father Rajiv Gandhi (1981-1991). Later, Rahul's mother Sonia Gandhi, too, held the seat from 1999-2004. Rahul held the seat from 2004 till his loss in 2019.

The seat, due to its association with the Gandhi family and Congress presidents, has been a prestige issue for the party and a major bone of contention with the BJP. Rahul Gandhi, managed to retain his seat in Lok Sabha after the 2019 polls as he won the Wayanad seat in Kerala that year.

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