Rahul, Priyanka enter U.P. Election Arena, a shock strategy Vs NDA

New Delhi: Candidature of Gandhi siblings Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was finased  from Amethi and Rai Bareli respectively, late this evening in a last minute  shock strategy against favourites BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) according to reliable sources. 

Though the former Congress President and incumbent Kerala M.P.  Rahul Gandhi was reluctant to  fight from Amethi, and is a Party candidate from Vayanad seat of Southern State,  local leaders of Uttar Pradesh have been insisting on Gandhi family not to ignore their support base in U.P.  Rahul Gandhi had won the Amethi seat since 2004 to 2014 and lost to Union Minister and flamboyant BJP leades Mrs Smriti Irani in 20149 by over 70,000 votes,  his candidature  could help some of the party candidates gain advantage.

In Vayanad  seat , there is a triangular contest between Congress, ruling  Left Front and slowly emerging BJP. Though Congress and Left Front of Kerala are part of the INDI Alliance across the country, they are fierce rivals in Kerala since long, and have been  ruling the Southern state alternatively. Rahul Gandhi’s  plans to fight from Amethi had been  in hot discussion for the ladt few months, yet it was kept under wraps  for fear of negative impact on Vayanad voters’ support.  Polling has been over there in the second phase, on April 26, where both the leding political alliances  are claiming  victory, Amethi could  play to their double advantage, helping the party candidates in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar as well.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s announcement comes a bit surprise, as she was not keen to contest, though being a senior  State  functionary and General Secretary, she wanted to spend more time in electioneering.  Rae Bareli being the traditional Gandhi family’s  safer resort, Feroz Gandhi, Indira Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi had been contestants in most elections since 1952, the first Lok Sabha polls in India. Former Congress President Sonia Gandhi had been representing  since 2004 to 2019.

Though former Prime Minister  Indira Gandhi lost to Janata Party’s Raj Narain in 1977, the seat has mostly sent Gandhi family members or loyalists to Parliament.  Priyanka’s decesion would be an effort to keep the seat in the family  control.                                                                                                                                   (Feature Photo credit-Siasat.com)