Lok Sabha Polls: Rahul, Priyanka from Amethi, Rae Bareli: Congress PEC resolution

Uttar Pradesh Congress Pradesh Election Committee (PEC) on Sunday unanimously adopted a resolution urging Congress leadership to field a member of Gandhi family from Rae Bareli and Amethi Lok Sabha seats.

Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) and district Congress committees of Rae Bareli and Amethi have already recommended the names of Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi from the two seats.

“Amethi and Rae Bareli seats are close to Gandhi family. The people of the two constituencies also treat the Gandhis like a family. District Congress Committee Amethi and Rae Bareli along with the UPCC have passed a resolution demanding that a member of Gandhi family should contest election from the two constituencies. The PEC has endorsed the same resolution,” said Congress’s national general secretary and UP incharge, Avinash Pandey after the PEC meeting.

Pandey said the resolution would be sent to AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and top party leader Sonia Gandhi requesting them to field a member of Gandhi family from the two seats.

The PEC also made recommendations about names of probable Congress candidates for all the 17 Lok Sabha seats that have gone to the grand old party’s quota in seat sharing agreement with the Samajwadi Party. The remaining 63 seats have gone to the SP’s quota, which will take call about the candidates there.

“The PEC has evaluated the local equations and made a single or more than one recommendation with the preferences for 17 Lok Sabha seats. The PEC’s recommendations will be placed before the screening committee on Monday and the same will be thereafter placed before the Central Election Committee. Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s yatra has resulted in creation of an atmosphere of optimism and change. We are also getting our manifesto based on five points of justice for different sections of society,” said Pandey.

Those aware of the development said the PEC’s one name recommendation include seats of Varanasi and Barabanki. “UPCC chief Ajay Rai’s name has been recommended for Varanasi while name of senior party leader PL Punia’s son Tanuj Punia has been suggested for Barabanki seat. Former UPCC president Raj Babbar has been recommended as a probable candidate from Fatehpur Sikri. Congress’ top leader Sonia Gandhi’s close associate Dheeraj Srivastava’s name has been suggested from Prayagraj. The names of Congress leaders Ajay Kapoor and Alok Mishra have been recommended for Kanpur Lok Sabha seat. On the other hand, former UPCC president Ajay Lallu, Keshav Yadav and Akhilesh Pratap Singh have been suggested as probable candidates for Deoria Lok Sabha seat.

Congress MLA Virendra Chaudhary’s name has been suggested as possible candidate from Maharajganj. Other obvious recommendations include former union minister Pradeep Aditya Jain for Jhansi and Imran Masood from Saharanpur. Masood recently joined the Congress again after his stints with the SP and the BSP.

Senior Congress leader from Mathura, Pradeep Mathur said he has suggested former governor Satyapal Mallik’s name from Mathura Lok Sabha seat, which has large number of Jat votes.

Mathur, former Congress legislature party leader, is a member of the Congress’ Pradesh Election Committee.