Lucknow2 hours ago
Congress general secretary and UP in-charge Priyanka Gandhi Vadra can contest from any seat in Rae Bareli or Amethi in the UP assembly elections to be held next year. If this happens, Priyanka will be the first member of the Gandhi family to contest the assembly elections. Earlier, all the members of the Gandhi family have contested only the Lok Sabha elections.
Sources say that Priyanka’s first choice is Amethi, as she will prepare the ground for the Lok Sabha elections in Amethi to avenge the defeat of Rahul Gandhi there, thereby challenging Smriti Irani in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Prashant Kishor has also given a suggestion to Priyanka
In the meeting held in Lucknow in the past, the Advisory Committee had also told Priyanka that Congress will get new strength in UP with her coming in the fray. Electoral strategist Prashant Kishor had also suggested to Priyanka that she should herself field in the assembly elections.
On September 12, Priyanka Gandhi met the public in Rae Bareli.
Congressmen gear up for Priyanka’s election
Priyanka Gandhi herself has not given any indication about contesting the elections or not, but sources say that election preparations have been started from Priyanka Gandhi’s office. For this data of Rae Bareli and Amethi is being collected.
Why Rae Bareli or Amethi?
Political experts say that after the defeat of Rahul Gandhi from Amethi in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the dominance of the Gandhi family has reduced there. At the same time, due to the ill health of Congress chairperson Sonia Gandhi, the contact of the Gandhi family with the public in Rae Bareli has also decreased.
In such a situation, Congress’s relations with the people of Amethi and Rae Bareli region can be strengthened by contesting Priyanka’s election. Rae Bareli and Amethi have been strongholds of the Gandhi family for years and Priyanka does not want to let this relationship weaken. Former Union Minister Salman Khurshid has formally said that Priyanka will be the face of Congress in the UP assembly elections.
Congress has lost only 3 times so far in Rae Bareli
In Rae Bareli from 1952 to 2019, the Congress has lost only three times in the Lok Sabha elections. Congress was defeated in this seat in 1977, 1988 and 1996. From this seat, Feroze Gandhi, Indira Gandhi, Sheela Kaul, Arun Nehru and Satish Sharma reached the Lok Sabha after winning the elections.
Congress wins 16 times in 18 elections in Amethi
Congress has won 16 times in 17 Lok Sabha and 2 by-elections in Amethi. Congress has to face defeat only three times in 1977, 1998 and 2019. In 1977, the Congress was defeated for the first time in the elections held after the Emergency. After this, in 1980, Sanjay Gandhi became an MP from here. After Sanjay’s death, Rajiv Gandhi took over the reins of Amethi. Then in 1999, Sonia Gandhi won the election. After this, Rahul Gandhi won from here in 2004, 2009 and 2014, but in 2019 Smriti Irani defeated Rahul.
Priyanka had also recently visited Amethi. During this he met people and listened to their problems.
Congress has also found a new way in UP to raise funds. State President Ajay Kumar Lallu has issued a circular saying that whoever wants a ticket will have to deposit Rs 11,000 in the party fund by December 25. The application form has to be submitted first for the ticket.
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