Amethi, Raebareli decision within 24-30 hours, there is no delay: Congress

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday said the party is expected to announce the candidates for Amethi and Raebareli in the next 24 to 30 hours and there has been no delay. "Has the BJP announced its Raebareli candidate? Nobody is scared. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Rahul Gandhi are campaigning extensively. President Mallikarjun Kharge is campaigning. Candidates are not announced by the media house deadline. Why has BJP not announced its Raebareli candidate?" Jairam Ramesh said as suspense over Amethi and Raebareli continued amid intense speculations.

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“Mr Kharge is seized of the matter. A decision will be announced at an appropriate time,” Jairam Ramesh said. 

The two seats have a long association with the Nehru-Gandhi family as Feroze Gandhi, former PMs Indira and Rajiv Gandhi, Indira’s son and Congress leader Sanjay Gandhi, former party presidents Sonia and Rahul Gandhi and Congress leader Arun Nehru have all represented these two seats.

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The party's central election committee has been in favour of fielding Rahul Gandhi from Amethi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra from Raebareli – the seat that Sonia Gandhi vacated as she shifted to the Rajya Sabha. Rahul Gandhi lost Amethi to Smriti Irani in 2019 and if he makes Amethi his second seat this year – apart from Wayanad – the UP constituency will see a major power tussle. 

Congress workers in Amethi held a sit-in demanding a Gandhi family member as its candidate from Amethi. There are speculations that Rahul Gandhi may fight in Raebareli instead of Amethi. According to reports, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is keen to contest from the Rae Bareli seat and her candidature is likely to be announced soon, once the party leadership takes a final call on the seat.

Rahul Gandhi is yet to finalise his candidature on his second seat of Amethi and the leadership is likely to announce his name soon.

The state leadership in Uttar Pradesh has already urged the central election committee and the party leadership to field Rahul Gandhi from Amethi and Priyanka from Rae Bareli. 

The Amethi seat has been represented by Rahul Gandhi from 2004 and he was Amethi MP for three consecutive terms till 2019 when he was defeated by BJP's Smriti Irani. Rahul Gandhi currently represents the Wayanad constituency in Kerala, from where he had also contested in the 2019 Lok Sabha election.

The Amethi and Rae Bareli constituencies go to polls on May 20 in the 5th round of the seven-phase general elections.