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Lok Sabha Elections 2024: The Congress party’s delay in announcing its candidate for the Amethi seat in Uttar Pradesh is testing the patience of the local party unit. On Tuesday, the unit staged a protest demanding a member of the Gandhi family as its candidate for this seat. Voting will be held in Amethi on May 20 in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections 2024.
The protest by Congress workers comes when the deadline for submitting nomination papers is just three days away and the party is yet to announce a candidate for the seat.
Senior party leaders including Amethi District President Pradeep Singhal and former District President Yogendra Mishra gathered at the party office carrying posters. ‘Rahul Gandhi demands Amethi. Amethi demand Priyanka Gandhi (Amethi wants Rahul Gandhi or (his sister) Priyanka Gandhi Vadra)”.
Party district spokesperson Anil Singh said, “People of the constituency and Congress workers want a member of the Gandhi family to be their candidate. We want Rahul Gandhi to contest from Amethi to bring back his lost honour.”
Congress’ turn in Amethi
The biggest blow to Congress in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections was in Amethi, as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Smriti Irani defeated Rahul Gandhi. Amethi Lok Sabha seat was considered a Congress stronghold as it was represented in the lower house of Parliament by former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, his brother Sanjay Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi.
Rahul Gandhi still reached Parliament after winning the elections from Wayanad, but losing Amethi was like losing prestige for Congress. BJP has again made Smriti Irani its candidate from Amethi, but discussions are going on in Congress circles whether members of the Gandhi family will contest from this seat.
The local Congress unit wants the Gandhi family members to continue contesting from this seat, but the party high command seems worried about the situation.
(With inputs from PTI)
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Published: April 30, 2024, 07:55 PM IST
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