The BJP launched a sharp critique of Rahul Gandhi, comparing his political influence in his family’s strongholds to the decline of Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mughal emperor. This came shortly after the Congress revealed its Lok Sabha candidates for Amethi and Rae Bareli, removing any suspense.
The Congress announced today that Rahul Gandhi will contest the Lok Sabha election from Rae Bareli, his mother Sonia Gandhi’s former constituency. Meanwhile, Kishori Lal Sharma, a supporter of the Gandhi family, will contest from Amethi.
In the 2019 elections, Rahul Gandhi lost to Smriti Irani of the BJP in the Amethi constituency.
Today, Giriraj Singh, a BJP politician and Union Minister, remarked that Rahul Gandhi would also need to leave Rae Bareli.
“The Gandhi family never goes back to the seat from where it lost. Rahul Gandhi lost Amethi and he left it. This time if he loses Raebareli too, he will leave that too. Just like Bahadur Shah Zafar was the last emperor of the Mughal Sultanate, Raebareli is the same for the Gandhi family,” he told ANI.
Rahul Gandhi currently serves as the Member of Parliament for Wayanad in Kerala. He also contested the general elections of 2024 from Wayanad.
Brajesh Pathak, Uttar Pradesh’s deputy chief minister, forecasted that the BJP would secure victory in all 80 seats in the state.
“BJP is going to win in Rae Bareli and Amethi with a huge margin. Rahul Gandhi had first left Amethi and went to Wayanad, now he has come to Rae Bareli. The people of Rae Bareli will never accept him. BJP is going to win all 80 seats in the state with a huge majority,” he stated.
Manjinder Singh Sirsa, a BJP leader, anticipated that Rahul Gandhi would also be unsuccessful in Wayanad.
“Rahul Gandhi is losing from Wayanad and this is why is going to contest from Rae Bareli. Earlier, he accepted defeat from Amethi, now he is running away from Wayanad. The situation is such that no one from Congress wants to contest from Amethi, which was Congress’ traditional seat…Rahul Gandhi will also have to leave Rae Bareli, and people will give him a befitting reply, he will be defeated in Rae Bareli too,” he stated.
Rahul Gandhi represented Amethi in the Lok Sabha from 2004 to 2019.
Sonia Gandhi, who served as the MP for Rae Bareli from 2004 to 2024, recently joined the Rajya Sabha. Speculations arose suggesting that she had nominated Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for the seat.
Kishori Lal Sharma, a staunch supporter of the Gandhi family, has been a close ally. He represented the constituency on behalf of Sonia and Rahul Gandhi.