Priyanka may contest election from UP; doubt persists over Sonia Gandhi

Lucknow: Congress's star campaigner, Priyanka Gandhi, is poised to enter the political battleground of Uttar Pradesh for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections as speculations are rife that in the absence of Sonia Gandhi, she might contest from Rae Bareli and can even try her luck from Amethi.

Congress Parliamentary Party President Sonia Gandhi has represented Rae Bareli in the Lok Sabha for the last four elections. Owing to her ill health speculations are there that she might not contest the election this time, but party leaders have rejected such speculations.

They say as Congress has lost all the assembly seats that come under the Rae Bareli Parliamentary constituency, it is mandatory for the party that Sonia should contest from there in the 2024 elections.

“However, in the event of an unavoidable situation where Sonia Gandhi declines to contest the election, Priyanka Gandhi may step in as the candidate from Rae Bareli,” a senior Congress leader said and added that in the absence of Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka might also be considered as a contender from Amethi.

Sources close to the Congress top leadership reveal a third strategy under consideration. If Sonia Gandhi contests from Rae Bareli and Rahul Gandhi from Amethi, Priyanka Gandhi could be fielded from Sultanpur, a neighboring constituency of Amethi. The Sultanpur was once considered a Congress bastion but lost out to BJP in the last two elections.

The party's strategists believe that Priyanka Gandhi's presence in the Uttar Pradesh Lok Sabha elections could not only increase the number of MPs for Congress but also increase the party's popularity among voters.

State president Brijlal Khabri said Priyanka had been urged to contest elections from Uttar Pradesh. The party is evaluating the ground reality with party leaders camping in Rae Bareli and Amethi. A comprehensive report on all aspects is being prepared and will soon be presented to national leadership.

With the possibility of Priyanka Gandhi's entry into the electoral arena in Uttar Pradesh, the Congress party aims to make a strategic impact, bolster its prospects, and resonate with the public sentiment in the region. The forthcoming Lok Sabha elections are likely to witness an intense political battle, and all eyes are on the Gandhi family's decisions, which could have far-reaching implications for the state and the nation, said Amarnath Agarwal, a senior Congress leader.