Sonia Gandhi to fight from Rae Bareli, not Priyanka Gandhi
Shailvee Sharda | TNN | Updated: Mar 8, 2019, 06:13 IST
Rahul Gandhi will contest from Amethi, but it has no mention of Priyanka Vadra, who made her formal political debut from UPLUCKNOW: Setting to rest speculation that Priyanka Gandhi may replace mother Sonia from Rae Bareli, Congress on Thursday announced the UPA chairperson will contest from her constituency in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The party declared names of candidates from 10 other seats, including that of party president Rahul Gandhi from Amethi, but it has no mention of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who made her formal political debut from Uttar Pradesh.
Rahul’s constituency is no surprise, though BJP seems determined to put up a stiff fight with a slew of projects with a near certainty of a rematch with textile minister Smriti Irani in Amethi. And it seems clear Sonia will remain in the political arena for backroom negotiations with Opposition leaders in the post-poll scenario. The list also includes names of 9 other Congress heavyweights, most of whom had won their seats in 2009 Lok Sabha polls. UPCC vice-president Imran Masood is the party candidate from Saharanpur — the seat where he finished second in 2014 by polling 4.07 lakh votes. Senior Congress leader Saleem Shervani is Congress candidate from Badaun, the seat currently represented by Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav’s cousin, Dharmendra Yadav.
Another interesting nomination was that of BSP’s former national general secretary and two-time MP Brij Lal Khabri, who contested the 2014 Lok Sabha election from Jalaun on a BSP ticket and finished second. However, in 2016 he left Mayawati to join Congress and was appointed member of party’s Scheduled Caste cell. Termed as the big kills of BJP in 2014, Congress repeated Jitin Prasada, Annu Tandon, Salman Khurshid and Nirmal Khatri from Dhaurahra, Unnao, Kushinagar and Farrukhabad respectively. All the four winners of 2009 finished fourth in 2014.
Congress has also repeated RPN Singh, who won the 2009 Lok Sabha poll with 2.23 lakh votes. Currently, serving as All-India Congress Committee general secretary for Jharkhand, Singh lost to BJP’s Rajesh Mishra even though he secured more votes in 2014 Lok Sabha elections than in 2009.
Congress also repeated former MP Rajaram Pal from Akbarpur seat, which came into existence after delimitation in 2008. While the Congress leader secured over 30% of total valid votes on the seat in 2009 to register his victory, he was reduced to just 9% votes in 2014.
Rahul’s constituency is no surprise, though BJP seems determined to put up a stiff fight with a slew of projects with a near certainty of a rematch with textile minister Smriti Irani in Amethi. And it seems clear Sonia will remain in the political arena for backroom negotiations with Opposition leaders in the post-poll scenario. The list also includes names of 9 other Congress heavyweights, most of whom had won their seats in 2009 Lok Sabha polls. UPCC vice-president Imran Masood is the party candidate from Saharanpur — the seat where he finished second in 2014 by polling 4.07 lakh votes. Senior Congress leader Saleem Shervani is Congress candidate from Badaun, the seat currently represented by Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav’s cousin, Dharmendra Yadav.
Another interesting nomination was that of BSP’s former national general secretary and two-time MP Brij Lal Khabri, who contested the 2014 Lok Sabha election from Jalaun on a BSP ticket and finished second. However, in 2016 he left Mayawati to join Congress and was appointed member of party’s Scheduled Caste cell. Termed as the big kills of BJP in 2014, Congress repeated Jitin Prasada, Annu Tandon, Salman Khurshid and Nirmal Khatri from Dhaurahra, Unnao, Kushinagar and Farrukhabad respectively. All the four winners of 2009 finished fourth in 2014.
Congress has also repeated RPN Singh, who won the 2009 Lok Sabha poll with 2.23 lakh votes. Currently, serving as All-India Congress Committee general secretary for Jharkhand, Singh lost to BJP’s Rajesh Mishra even though he secured more votes in 2014 Lok Sabha elections than in 2009.
Congress also repeated former MP Rajaram Pal from Akbarpur seat, which came into existence after delimitation in 2008. While the Congress leader secured over 30% of total valid votes on the seat in 2009 to register his victory, he was reduced to just 9% votes in 2014.
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