Like 2019, Amethi could be the big fight in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, too, with Congress’s Rahul Gandhi against Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Smriti Irani. According to newly appointed state Congress president Ajay Rai, Gandhi will contest from Amethi in 2024.
In 2019, Gandhi was defeated by Irani, who emerged as the giant killer. In fact, the Congress had its apprehensions, which is why it fielded Gandhi from the second seat of Wayanad.
#BreakingNews | BJP hits out at Congress after the announcement of #RahulGandhi contesting from Amethi @_pallavighosh details the heated politics@poonam_burde #NationAt5 #PriyankaGandhi #SmritiIrani #Wayanad #SoniaGandhi pic.twitter.com/Bwn6UQYw8Q— News18 (@CNNnews18) August 18, 2023
WHAT HAPPENED IN 2019?
Wayanad was a safe seat for the Congress, so a win was never in doubt.
The Congress also felt that as a Member of Parliament (MP) of a southern state, Gandhi would help the party reclaim its space in the south, where regional parties such as the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) were surging ahead.
But sources in the party say that with Gandhi contesting from both the seats, the BJP was able to push forward the narrative that he was running away from his family bastion of Amethi and was scared. Irani kept going back to Amethi despite losing, reiterating how the same party in power at the Centre and state would help the people in the constituency.
In fact, on the day of polling, News18 found that the women wanted change and development. Irani played the woman card and it worked for her. Gandhi’s absence, even on the day of polling, hurt him further.
THE 2024 CHALLENGE; PRIYANKA FROM VARANASI?
There is a challenge for Gandhi in 2024 as well. The Congress has to ensure that the anti-BJP votes are not divided and that the absence of Gandhi from Amethi doesn’t come back to harm him.
The BJP is geared up for a fight and will raise the point that when Gandhi lost, he visited Amethi only twice.
The next speculation is about Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Will she contest from Varanasi or any other seat? Rai hinted that she could, but no decision has been taken.
A lot depends on whether their mother Sonia Gandhi wants to take sanyas from Lok Sabha politics.
It would then put pressure on the siblings to divide the Uttar Pradesh turf between themselves.
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