Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Robert Vadra to contest polls from Amethi? Here's what he said
Congress is yet to announce name of its candidate in party’s stronghold Amethi seat in Uttar Pradesh but Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra said the people of Amethi expect him to fight the Lok Sabha elections against BJP’s Smriti Irani.
Robert Vadra, husband of Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, has hinted at joining active politics, saying that the people of Amethi expect him to make his political debut from the constituency. The people of Amethi are not happy with sitting MP Irani, who defeated Rahul Gandhi in 2019, according to Priyanka Gandhi's husband Vadra, since she is too busy criticizing the Gandhi family.
Speaking to the media, Vadra said, “The people of Amethi expect me to represent their constituency if I decide to become a member of Parliament. For years, the Gandhi family worked hard in Rae Bareli, Amethi and Sultanpur. The people of Amethi are really troubled by the current Member of Parliament, they think they have made a mistake by electing her."
"They believe that they made a mistake as she doesn't visit (her constituency) often. She does not think about the progress of the area. She only cares about levelling accusations against the Gandhi family, demeaning them and misusing her power," he said.
Vadra further said, "When the people of Amethi feel they have made a mistake, when they feel they want the Gandhi family to come back or if they want me... then they will give a big win to the Congress."
"I want Priyanka to become an MP first and then I feel I can also come .I interact with people and there are MPs from different parties. They (MPs) ask me to come along with their party and ask me the reasons for the delay. They also assure me of their support. So different parties across the country are asking me to come along. I have friendships with a lot of people above the party lines," he added.
Amethi and Rae Bareli seats were once bastions of the Nehru-Gandhi family but Congress is yet to announce its candidates for these constituencies. This is not the first time Robert Vadra has hinted at joining politics. In July 2022, Vadra said he would consider joining active politics if people would want that.
Polling in Amethi and Rae Bareli will be held in the fifth phase on May 20. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, BJP's Smriti Irani defeated Rahul Gandhi from Amethi, a seat which he had represented for 15 years.