International Desk

The Indian media is abuzz with speculation about if Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will contest the ongoing parliamentary elections from their traditional bastions Amethi and Raebareli constituencies in the most populous state of Uttar Pradesh.

Voting in Amethi and Raebareli will be held in the fifth phase of the seven-phase Lok Sabha polls on 20 May.

Although just a day is left for filing nomination papers for those two constituencies, the suspense continues if Rahul will contest from Amethi and Priyanka from Raebareli.

Rahul had won in Amethi in 2004, 2009, and 2014 Lok Sabha elections consecutively before tasting defeat in 2019 to BJP’s Smriti Irani. Rahul then shifted to Wayanad in Kerala where he sought re-election this time too. Polling in Wayanad was over in the second phase on 26 April.

Raebareli, on the other hand, has been a Congress pocket borough since 1999 When Congress' Satish Sharma had won the seat. Since then, Raebareli has elected former Congress president Sonia Gandhi as its MP from 2004 till 2019.

There is a growing chorus in Congress’ unit of Uttar Pradesh that the top party leadership field Rahul and Priyanka from Amethi and Raebareli respectively for the Lok Sabha polls. But no final decision was taken at the meeting of the party’s central election committee in New Delhi on Saturday last.

The Congress Central Election Committee left the final decision to the party president, Mallikarjun Kharge, who is expected to convene a meeting with Rahul and Priyanka on the issue to take the call.

The Indian media reported last week that Rahul’s cousin Varun Gandhi turned down BJP’s offer to contest against cousin Priyanka Gandhi from Raebareli if she was nominated by Congress. Varun, who has not got BJP re-nomination from the Pilibhit constituency, also in Uttar Pradesh, has reportedly refused the offer to be in the fray in Raebareli due to his “good equation” with cousins.

One of the reasons cited by the Uttar Pradesh unit of BJP is that Rahul and Priyanka contesting from Amethi and Raebareili will send a positive signal for Congress’ electoral prospects in the state. But Congress sources avert that Rahul himself is a little wary it may not go down well in Wayanad.

For Congress, a decision on Rahul contesting also from Amethi is a double-edged sword. BJP has been taunting Rahul for not contesting from Amethi “fearing defeat.” If Rahul does decide to be in the fray from Amethi, BJP is likely to claim that Rahul is unsure of victory in Wayanad and that is why he is keeping the option open in Amethi.

Interestingly, BJP too has not announced its candidates for Amethi and Rarebareli and is apparently wary of Congress' moves on this.