Congress Announces Rahul Gandhi and Kishori Lal Sharma as Candidates for UP Seats

Congress, in a last-minute decision, revealed that Rahul Gandhi and Kishori Lal Sharma are the chosen candidates for the upcoming elections in Uttar Pradesh.

Rahul Gandhi will contest once again from Amethi, while Kishori Lal Sharma has been put forward for the Rae Bareli constituency.

The announcement comes just hours before the nomination deadline for the seats that are set to go to polls on May 20.

It was a matter of speculation whether Priyanka Gandhi Vadra would make her electoral debut, but the party’s decision went in favor of Sharma as the candidate for Rae Bareli.

Sharma, a long-time loyalist of the Gandhi family, has been intricately involved in managing both Amethi and Rae Bareli for over 25 years.

Amidst a competitive political landscape, Congress is contesting 17 out of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, with the Samajwadi Party taking on the remaining 63 seats.

On the other hand, the BJP has fielded familiar faces like Smriti Irani and Dinesh Pratap Singh for the Amethi and Rae Bareli constituencies respectively, continuing from their involvement in the 2019 elections.

Rahul Gandhi, who has previously represented Amethi in three consecutive terms, will now face the challenge once again against BJP’s Smriti Irani.

While Congress has a historical connection with both Amethi and Rae Bareli, Rae Bareli has been a stronghold having only been lost thrice in the past. The constituency has seen significant victories, especially when led by Sonia Gandhi.

Sonia Gandhi, opting out of the electoral race this time, has chosen a different path to Parliament via the Rajya Sabha.

As Rahul Gandhi is set to contest from both Wayanad, Kerala and Amethi, the party took the decisive step of selecting Kishori Lal Sharma for the Rae Bareli seat.

An attempt was made for Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to contest against Smriti Irani in Amethi, but could not come to fruition as Sharma took on the challenge for Rae Bareli instead.