New Delhi:
The Congress will convene a Central Election Committee (CEC) today to discuss candidates for the much-awaited seats in Uttar Pradesh – Raebareli and Amethi.
Congress sources told news agency ANI that leaders of the UP Congress and All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge of UP Avinash Pandey have also been called for a meeting today.
Earlier, it was proposed to the CEC by the UP Congress that the Gandhi family should contest the Amethi and Raibareli seats and the decision was left to the CEC and the top management.
A senior party official told news agency ANI that the situation is very good and they are very positive that the proposal is being considered in the right spirit.
There is a good chance that Congress may announce Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi as candidates for Amethi and Rae Bareli seats respectively.
Smriti Irani defeated Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Amethi. Irani has again been dismissed from the seat by the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Notably, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's businessman husband Vadra, who had earlier expressed his desire to contest from the Amethi parliamentary seat, has said that the entire country wishes him to enter active politics. He also said that Smriti Irani, the sitting MP from Amethi, has not kept her promises.
“The voice comes from all over the country. They want me to go into active politics because I have always been among the people of the country. People always want me to be there in their region. I have campaigned there (Amethi) since 1999 Smriti Irani, the sitting MP, has not kept her promises,” Vadra said on Friday when asked whether he would contest from the Amethi Lok Sabha seat.
Rae Bareli has been a Congress bastion since 1960, with both Feroze Gandhi and Indira Gandhi representing it. Sonia Gandhi has been an MP from the constituency since she won the 2006 by-election.
With Sonia Gandhi moving to the Upper House, the Congress is likely to target Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the party's general secretary.
Amethi and Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituencies will vote in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections on May 20.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DailyExpertNews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)