The Amethi unit of the Congress, weary of the prolonged wait for a candidate announcement, is holding a sit-in protest in the long-standing VIP constituency of Uttar Pradesh. Today, outside the party office, Congress workers voiced their demands with chants of “Amethi demands the Gandhi family.”
With just four days remaining until the nomination deadline for the upcoming elections on May 20th, tension mounts as the Congress has yet to name contenders for the prestigious seats of Amethi and Raebareli. These constituencies, once held by Rajiv and Sonia Gandhi and previously by Sanjay Gandhi, hold significant historical weight.
“Enough time has been spent dilly-dallying. We are running out of patience. They should just hurry up and announce the names,” one of the Congress party workers was quoted as saying to NDTV.
With the uncertainty looming over whether the Gandhis would be able to mount a successful campaign against BJP leaders, especially Smriti Irani, who had defeated Rahul Gandhi last time, the Congress high command is predictably keeping its cards close to its chest, not revealing its future course of action. The reluctance is also compounded by the fact that Gandhi, who had fought from Wayanad in Kerala, has been accused by his opponents of betraying his constituents in the south Indian district should he choose to fight from any other constituency.
In the previous election, Rahul Gandhi, a three-time MP from Amethi, lost the seat to BJP’s Union Minister Smriti Irani, who filed her nomination yesterday, expressing optimism for a second consecutive term.
However, the Congress remains in limbo regarding candidate selection. Despite Rahul Gandhi’s contest in Kerala’s Wayanad in 2019, the party has yet to finalize its choices for Amethi and Raebareli.
While hopes were pinned on a decision post-Kerala elections, progress has been sluggish over the past four days. Party insiders suggest a decision may be forthcoming in another day or two.