Rahul Gandhi files nomination from Rae Bareli seat

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday filed his nomination from Rae Bareli, a few hours after announcing his candidature from the key constituency.

The party leader was accompanied by his sister and Congress party's general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Rae Bareli's sitting MP Sonia Gandhi.

The party has decided to drop Priyanka Gandhi Vadra this time around. Congress' loyalist KL Sharma will be contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Amethi, the seat Rahul Gandhi lost in the 2019 general elections to BJP leader Smriti Irani.



Friday was the last date for filing nominations for the seats that will go to polls on May 20 in the fifth round of the seven-phase general elections.

Also Read: Rahul Gandhi ditches contest against Smriti Irani, to file nomination from Rae Bareli; Congress fields KL Sharma from Amethi

Rae Bareli, the constituency was held by Sonia Gandhi who became a member of the Rajya Sabha.

The party has secured victory in the Congress stronghold in almost every Lok Sabha election since 1951. Prior to Sonia Gandhi, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had been victorious in Rae Bareli on three occasions.

The constituency also chose Indira's husband and Congress leader Feroze Gandhi as its representative twice, in 1952 and 1957. Only twice has a member of the Nehru-Gandhi family refrained from contesting the seat, in 1962 and 1999.

Also Read: Rahul Gandhi has forgotten his own slogan 'Daro Mat': BJP slams Nehru-Gandhi scion for ditching Amethi

Both constituencies have been long-standing strongholds of the Gandhi-Nehru family, with family members representing these seats for many years.

The Congress, participating in 17 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh through a seat-sharing agreement with the Samajwadi Party (SP), has declared candidates for all the seats.

Amethi is set to vote in the fifth phase on May 20, with the deadline for filing nominations set for May 3. Rahul's loss in Amethi, previously regarded as a stronghold for the Congress, to Smriti Irani in the 2019 elections was viewed as a major setback to the party's national reputation.

Also Read: Why Congress chose Rae Bareli for Rahul Gandhi

Rahul served as the representative of Amethi in the Lok Sabha from 2004 to 2019. His father, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, was also a member of the Lower House representing Amethi from 1981 until his passing in 1991.

Sonia Gandhi ran for elections from this constituency in 1999 before handing over the responsibility to Rahul in 2004.

Currently, Rahul represents Wayanad in the Lok Sabha while Irani is seeking reelection in Amethi.