The political gimmick ahead of the Lok Sabha election in Rae Bareli is in full swing. Now, former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel has tried to stir the hornet’s nest by calling Rahul Gandhi the PM face of future.
However, neither the party nor the I.N.D.I.A alliance gave any importance to the gamble played by Baghel. During the joint press conference of the I.N.D.I.A bloc in Lucknow on Wednesday, the party’s National President Mallikarjun Kharge maintained silence on this, while SP chief Akhilesh Yadav stated that they would not disclose their strategy. Both leaders emphasised on reservation and claimed victory for the I.N.D.I.A bloc.
Interestingly, during his visit to Rae Bareli, Rahul Gandhi did not address the issue of reservation. Furthermore, neither Congress nor the I.N.D.I.A bloc has announced any candidate for the upcoming elections. It appears that Congress is avoiding taking any risks in Rae Bareli this time, as BJP stalwarts are expected to focus heavily on Rae Bareli and Amethi in the near future.
Most of the big and small leaders of Congress have camped in Rae Bareli. The responsibility of senior supervisor of Rae Bareli has been given to Baghel. Leaders of Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, all the Hindi speaking states, have gathered there with full force. Along with Amethi, Priyanka Gandhi is also focusing on Rae Bareli. But the biggest challenge before the party is to increase the victory margin.
In the previous election, Sonia Gandhi’s victory margin was significantly narrower compared to previous years, winning by only a margin of 1.5 lakh votes. This time, her son Rahul is contesting from Rae Bareli, having previously contested from Amethi where he was defeated. The Gandhi family has fielded Kishori Lal Sharma, a close associate, in Amethi, with Priyanka taking charge of his campaign, supported by former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot and his team. However, the real challenge lies in Rae Bareli, where BJP candidate DP Singh, active in the area for a decade, poses a formidable challenge. Congress is employing various strategies to counter this, with Bhupesh Baghel, hailing from Rae Bareli, entrusted with the task of rallying support for Rahul’s candidacy. However, there is a lack of consensus within the Indi alliance regarding Rahul’s candidacy, evident from Kharge’s silence on the matter. Congress faces the challenge of persuading voters amidst a competitive electoral landscape, with popular figures like CM Yogi and PM Modi commanding significant support.
