Rahul Gandhi To File Nomination For Raebareli Today; Odisha Visit Cancelled?

New Delhi: After days of suspense, Congress on Friday named Rahul Gandhi as its candidate from Raebareli, the Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh held by his mother Sonia Gandhi, who has become a member of the Rajya Sabha.

Congress loyalist K L Sharma has been fielded from Amethi Lok Sabha constituency.

Taking to X, Congress said that the decision to field Rahul Gandhi from Raebareli and KL Sharma from Amethi was made at a meeting of the ‘Central Election Committee’.

Since the last date of filing nominations from both Rae Bareli and Amethi is Friday, Rahul’s scheduled visit to Rayagada may have to be cancelled. “Rahul Gandhi will arrive by a special flight at Fursatganj airport at 10.30 am on Friday, May 3, and will file his nomination papers at 12.15 pm. He will thereafter leave for Pune,” IANS reported.

He was to arrive in Rayagada around noon and address the ‘Nyaya Rally’ between 12.10 pm and 13.30 pm near GIACR College.

According to ANI, the Gandhi family will also be in Amethi for KL Sharma’s nomination. Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra along with Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge will be present at the occasion. “The Gandhi family is coming for KL Sharma’s nomination. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge will be here…,” the news agency reported quoting a local Congress worker.

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In Raebareli, Rahul is pitted against BJP’s Dinesh Pratap Singh, who had lost the last election to Sonia Gandhi. The Gandhi scion has also contested from Kerala’s Wayanad, where voting was held on April 26.

The announcement has also put lid on speculation about Priyanka Gandhi contesting the upcoming elections from either of these seats. Both Amethi and Raebareli are traditional bastions of Congress. Rahul, however, had lost Amethi in the 2019 general elections to BJP leader Smriti Irani, who is again seeking re-election from the constituency.

Elections in Amethi and Raebareli will be held on May 20 in the fifth round of the seven-phase process.