Congress' Rahul Gandhi may contest Raebareli – the seat vacated by his mother Sonia Gandhi – and the party could field senior leader and former Gandhi family loyalist KL Sharma from Amethi, sources have told NDTV. The Gandhi siblings were told to take a call on the matter on Thursday evening, but the party is yet to make a formal announcement. Friday is the last date for submitting a nomination.
At a meeting with Mr Gandhi on Thursday evening, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge had suggested that both siblings contest but left the final decision to them given their “knowledge of ground realities”.
KL Sharma is one of the closest associates of the Gandhi family and represented Sonia Gandhi in the constituency when she was an MP. Mrs Gandhi has now moved to the Rajya Sabha, leaving a vacuum where Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was expected to intervene.
However, Mrs. Gandhi Vadra remains steadfast in her decision not to appeal despite a lot of pressure. Party sources hinted that her reluctance stems from the fact that her victory from Raebareli would put all three Gandhi family members in Parliament, reinforcing the BJP's charge of dynasty politics.
Sources said Kharge had suggested to Gandhi that he and his sister both have been contesting from the two seats, their family bastions, for decades. Not participating would send the wrong message and its consequences would be felt not only in Uttar Pradesh but also in the rest of the country.
Congress has been postponing the decision on the candidates for the two seats for weeks. As tension escalated, Congress workers went into protest mode in Amethi earlier this week, seeking a member of the Gandhi family as their candidate. Elections for both seats are scheduled for May 20, the fifth phase.