Congress mum over Rae Bareli and Amethi tickets, party cadre roll ball into Kharge's court
The Congress party continues to deliberate over potential candidates for the Amethi and Rae Bareli constituencies, with growing calls for Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to contest from these seats. Party president Mallikarjun Kharge has been entrusted with the decision-making process
FollowSuspense continues to surround the Congress party's candidatures for Amethi and Rae Bareli as party leaders deliberate on potential nominees. On Saturday, Congress entrusted party president Mallikarjun Kharge with the decision-making process, especially amid growing calls for Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to contest from these constituencies associated with the Gandhi family.
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The Congress Election Committee convened late evening to discuss the Uttar Pradesh constituencies, where AICC state in-charge Avinash Pande and legislature party leader Aradhana Mishra advocated strongly for the Gandhi siblings to contest, provided they are willing. Other members of the committee echoed this sentiment, highlighting the significant support within the party for Rahul and Priyanka to take on these key roles.
Chaired by Mallikarjun Kharge, the meeting was attended by Sonia Gandhi along with prominent leaders like KC Venugopal, Madhusudan Mistry, Salman Khurshid, Uttam Reddy, and Amee Yajnik. The committee also deliberated on the pending candidate selections for five seats in Punjab, consulting with state president Amarinder Warring and opposition leader Partap Bajwa.
This recent plea for Rahul and Priyanka to contest builds upon discussions from a previous CEC meeting on March 21, where it was decided that the party leadership would make a final determination.Â
Saturday's proposal provided updated insights into public sentiment and party readiness for these crucial constituencies, reassuring the CEC of the cadres' preparedness to launch campaign efforts immediately upon the leaders' decision to contest.
Adding to the anticipation, Rahul Gandhi is expected to visit Amethi around May 2 or 3, coinciding with the nomination deadline, further fueling speculation within the party about his potential candidacy.Â
While party leaders view Rahul's candidacy as highly likely, there remains uncertainty surrounding Priyanka's electoral debut. Speculation also suggests that Priyanka could contest from Amethi against incumbent MP and Union minister Smriti Irani, who defeated Rahul in the 2019 elections.
Although it was anticipated that Congress would release the candidate list after Saturday's CEC meeting, sources indicate that the suspense surrounding these nominations may persist for a few more days. Mallikarjun Kharge hinted at a potential delay of 2-3 days during an earlier engagement in Assam on Saturday.
