Priyanka Gandhi To Contest Raebareli And Rahul Gandhi To Amethi

Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra are likely to file their nomination papers for the Lok Sabha elections from Uttar Pradesh's Amethi and Raebareli constituencies, respectively, according to sources. Before this, they may visit Ayodhya to seek blessings at the Ram Mandir.

Rahul Gandhi is already contesting from Kerala's Wayanad constituency, with polling scheduled for April 26. There are rumours that he might also file from Amethi, where he previously contested twice and lost to BJP's Smriti Irani.

For Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, if she contests from Raebareli, it would be her poll debut in the Lok Sabha elections. Priyanka Gandhi's entry into politics has sparked interest in the upcoming elections. Sonia Gandhi, the current MP from Raebareli, has moved to the Rajya Sabha.

Both Amethi and Raebareli have been strongholds of the Congress party, but Smriti Irani's victory over Rahul Gandhi in Amethi in the 2019 elections changed that. In 2014, Rahul won against Irani by a significant margin.

In Raebareli, Sonia Gandhi defeated the BJP's Dinesh Pratap Singh comfortably in the previous elections.

There's speculation about Rahul and Priyanka's candidacies, with discussions planned in Delhi after the Wayanad polling. The Congress leaders will also discuss their visit to Ayodhya, although no official confirmation has been made.

Polling in Amethi and Raebareli is set for May 20, during the fifth phase of elections. Uttar Pradesh holds a total of 80 Lok Sabha seats. The upcoming elections in both constituencies are expected to be challenging for Congress, given recent shifts in voter preferences.