New Delhi: Suspense continues on whether top Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will contest from Amethi and Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seats or not, with only two days left for the nomination process to end.
Amethi and Rae Bareli are considered the traditional areas of the Gandhi-Nehru family as its members have represented these seats for many decades.
Sources said Rahul Gandhi is likely to contest from Rae Bareli, but a final decision is yet to be taken by the Congress first family.
He said that Priyanka Gandhi is also keen to contest from Rae Bareli seat, but Rahul Gandhi is not in favor of the idea in view of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's criticism of dynastic politics against the Congress leadership. Sources said that he does not want the three members of the Gandhi family to contest the Lok Sabha elections.
The final decision on whether they will contest the two seats or not will be taken in a day or two.Amid growing suspense, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that "nobody is scared" and a decision on the matter would be announced in the next 24-30 hours.
He said the party's Central Election Committee (CEC) has given Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge the authority to finalize the candidates for Amethi and Ra Bareilly.
"My expectation is that in the next 24-30 hours the Congress President will finalize it and the decision taken by him will be announced," Ramesh said in response to a question at a press conference at the AICC headquarters here.
“Until that happens, all the information, all the so-called office orders are fake,” he said.
Asked why there was a delay in taking the decision and whether the Congress was afraid of fielding Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, Ramesh said, “There has been no delay.Has the BJP not announced its candidates in Rae Bareli? Smriti Irani is a sitting MP. No one is scared, discussions are going on, the Congress President has been authorized.
He said, "There is no delay, there is time till May 3."
The state leadership in Uttar Pradesh has already urged the Central Election Committee and party leadership to field Rahul Gandhi from Amethi and Priyanka from Rae Bareli.
As speculation grew, Congress workers also staged a protest in Amethi on Tuesday demanding that the party nominate a member of the Gandhi family as its candidate from the Amethi Lok Sabha constituency.
Rahul Gandhi has represented the Amethi seat since 2004 and remained the Member of Parliament from the constituency for three consecutive terms until 2019, when he lost to BJP's Smriti Irani. Rahul Gandhi currently represents the Wayanad constituency of Kerala from where he also contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.Rahul Gandhi has already said that whatever order he gets from his party, he will follow it.
Voting will be held in Amethi and Rae Bareli constituencies on May 20 in the fifth round of the seven-phase general elections.
Sonia Gandhi represented the Rae Bareli constituency from 2004 to 2024. Before this, Sonia Gandhi represented the Amethi Lok Sabha constituency after entering politics and contested the elections for the first time in 1999.
This seat has previously been represented by Sanjay Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi.
Congress has formed an alliance with Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh and is contesting on 17 Lok Sabha seats in the state.Lok Sabha elections are being held in seven phases from April 19. Counting of votes will take place on June 4.
Amethi and Rae Bareli are considered the traditional areas of the Gandhi-Nehru family as its members have represented these seats for many decades.
Sources said Rahul Gandhi is likely to contest from Rae Bareli, but a final decision is yet to be taken by the Congress first family.
He said that Priyanka Gandhi is also keen to contest from Rae Bareli seat, but Rahul Gandhi is not in favor of the idea in view of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's criticism of dynastic politics against the Congress leadership. Sources said that he does not want the three members of the Gandhi family to contest the Lok Sabha elections.
The final decision on whether they will contest the two seats or not will be taken in a day or two.Amid growing suspense, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that "nobody is scared" and a decision on the matter would be announced in the next 24-30 hours.
He said the party's Central Election Committee (CEC) has given Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge the authority to finalize the candidates for Amethi and Ra Bareilly.
"My expectation is that in the next 24-30 hours the Congress President will finalize it and the decision taken by him will be announced," Ramesh said in response to a question at a press conference at the AICC headquarters here.
“Until that happens, all the information, all the so-called office orders are fake,” he said.
Asked why there was a delay in taking the decision and whether the Congress was afraid of fielding Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, Ramesh said, “There has been no delay.Has the BJP not announced its candidates in Rae Bareli? Smriti Irani is a sitting MP. No one is scared, discussions are going on, the Congress President has been authorized.
He said, "There is no delay, there is time till May 3."
The state leadership in Uttar Pradesh has already urged the Central Election Committee and party leadership to field Rahul Gandhi from Amethi and Priyanka from Rae Bareli.
As speculation grew, Congress workers also staged a protest in Amethi on Tuesday demanding that the party nominate a member of the Gandhi family as its candidate from the Amethi Lok Sabha constituency.
Rahul Gandhi has represented the Amethi seat since 2004 and remained the Member of Parliament from the constituency for three consecutive terms until 2019, when he lost to BJP's Smriti Irani. Rahul Gandhi currently represents the Wayanad constituency of Kerala from where he also contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.Rahul Gandhi has already said that whatever order he gets from his party, he will follow it.
Voting will be held in Amethi and Rae Bareli constituencies on May 20 in the fifth round of the seven-phase general elections.
Sonia Gandhi represented the Rae Bareli constituency from 2004 to 2024. Before this, Sonia Gandhi represented the Amethi Lok Sabha constituency after entering politics and contested the elections for the first time in 1999.
This seat has previously been represented by Sanjay Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi.
Congress has formed an alliance with Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh and is contesting on 17 Lok Sabha seats in the state.Lok Sabha elections are being held in seven phases from April 19. Counting of votes will take place on June 4.
