2024 LS Polls: Rahul to Contest from Amethi, Congress offers Priyanka Varanasi

Lucknow: The newly appointed Uttar Pradesh Congress president, Ajay Rai, has stated that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will once again contest from Amethi, while Priyanka Gandhi has the flexibility to choose her preferred constituency, even suggesting Varanasi, with full support from Congress workers for her victory.

Rai spoke to reporters, affirming, "Rahul Gandhi will contest from Amethi. Priyanka ji can contest from Varanasi if she wishes to do so." It's important to recall that Rahul Gandhi was defeated by BJP's Smriti Irani in the Amethi Lok Sabha constituency in 2019. The UP Congress chief expressed confidence in the party's resurgence in the upcoming general election.

Addressing a potential contest between Rahul Gandhi and Smriti Irani, Ajay Rai commented, "Ask her whether she could make sugar available at '13 per kg as she had promised. She must answer to the public where did that sugar go." In the 2019 elections, Rahul Gandhi had contested from two constituencies: Amethi in UP and Wayanad in Kerala. While he was defeated by BJP's Smriti Irani in Amethi, he emerged victorious in Wayanad. The recently appointed UP Congress Chief aimed to motivate the beleaguered Uttar Pradesh Congress members.

Reflecting back to 2019, during a period of intense speculation about the likelihood of Priyanka Gandhi challenging Modi in Varanasi, a last-minute decision led to Ajay Rai's nomination as the candidate from the same constituency. It's worth noting that in the 2014 elections, Ajay Rai had also contested from Varanasi but faced defeat both times.