During the ongoing Lok Sabha session, Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal expressed confidence in the INDIA alliance, stating that they are united and poised for victory. He emphasized, “Our unity is strong, and we are confident of winning. In particular, we are optimistic about our prospects in both Amethi and Raebareli.”
Venugopal noted the prevailing positive sentiment among the public towards the INDIA alliance. When asked about Rahul Gandhi’s prediction that the BJP would not secure more than 150 seats, Venugopal responded, “Rahul Gandhi is well-informed with data and has extensively traveled across the nation. He has a deep understanding of the people’s sentiments.”
During a joint rally in Amethi, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav campaigned for KL Sharma, the Congress and INDIA bloc candidate in Amethi. Akhilesh Yadav asserted that the BJP’s prospects had dwindled after the first four phases of the election, predicting that they would struggle to secure even 140 seats. He emphasized, “The people of the country have decided to limit the BJP to less than 140 seats. These individuals want to alter the constitution and our rights, but now the people will enact change.”
Rahul Gandhi highlighted BJP leaders’ statements about their intent to amend the Constitution if they win the elections. He expressed concerns that such changes would lead to the demise of public sector units (PSUs), loss of jobs, removal of reservations, and the erosion of citizens’ rights. Rahul Gandhi warned that without the Constitution, power would be concentrated in the hands of a few wealthy individuals, leaving others without their rights.
Amethi and Raebareli, traditionally strongholds of the Gandhi family, have regained attention. Rahul Gandhi is contesting in Raebareli, while the Congress’s close associate Kishori Lal Sharma is competing against Smriti Irani in Amethi. The Congress secured only two seats in Uttar Pradesh in 2014 (Raebareli and Amethi), which decreased to one in 2019 after losing Amethi.
On May 3, the Congress announced Rahul Gandhi as the candidate from Raebareli and loyalist KL Sharma from Amethi. Rahul Gandhi, currently an MP from Kerala’s Wayanad, is seeking reelection from both Raebareli and Wayanad. He previously represented Amethi from 2004 to 2019. In Raebareli, he will face BJP’s Dinesh Pratap Singh, a former Congress member.
Raebareli and Amethi will vote on May 20 in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, which is being conducted in seven phases. Vote counting is scheduled for June 4.
