Rahul Gandhi, who on Friday filed his nomination from Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituency, in his first reaction said that it was an emotional moment for him.
Taking to social media platform X, Rahul Gandhi wrote, "Nomination from Rae Bareli was an emotional moment for me! My mother has handed over the family's work to me with great trust and has given me the opportunity to serve it."
"Amethi and Rae Bareli are no different for me, both are my family and I am happy that Kishori Lal ji, who has been serving the constituency for 40 years, will represent the party from Amethi. In the ongoing war of justice against injustice, I seek the love and blessings of my loved ones. I am confident that you all are standing with me in this fight to save the Constitution and democracy," Rahul Gandhi said.
The Congress had kept the suspense going over whether or not Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra would contest from Amethi and Raebareli, till the early morning of the last day of nomination filing. The declaration came with a twist, Rahul Gandhi opted out from Amethi, deciding not to take on a feisty sitting MP and Union Minister Smriti Irani and moving to his mother’s erstwhile seat, an adjacent Raebareli. From Amethi, an old-time family loyalist, Sonia Gandhi’s representative Kishori Lal Sharma was named as Congress candidate.
During election time, since it is actually people who choose their representative, it becomes important what people perceive, believe and talk about a leader.
It is being talked about in political circles, including Congress, that neither Rahul Gandhi nor Priyanka Gandhi was willing to take on Smriti Irani. It doesn’t matter whether this is right or wrong because this is fast percolating in popular perception.
Contesting from Amethi and losing to her for the second time would have huge repercussions for Rahul Gandhi. The same applies to Priyanka Gandhi. What if she someone whom Congress has for long been projecting as their “Brahmastra”, loses to Smriti Irani? This was something, which Congress would dread to even dream of.
The problem with Congress is that the much-delayed decision, suspense, speculation and source-based information are giving the impression that Rahul Gandhi is a reluctant candidate and was forced by the circumstances to contest from Raebareli.
It now seems that Amethi is now a cakewalk for the BJP in Amethi, the only suspense for Amethi would be what voting percentage and margin Smriti Irani wins. Kishori Lal Sharma, originally from Punjab, has been the Gandhi family’s representative in this region for decades but it is also a fact that he is not particularly liked by many Congress workers and supporters.
The BJP surely has a reason to be happy. An early indication of how BJP’s campaign is going to be against Rahul Gandhi in Raebareli can be observed from what Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in his very first election rally on Friday. PM Modi used Rahul Gandhi’s often repeated assertion to mock him “Daro Mat, Bhago Mat (Don’t be afraid, don’t run away)".
PM Modi said much before the announcement of the elections he had predicted that top leaders, due to fear of losing, were unwilling to contest the Lok Sabha election, some choosing a safer Rajya Sabha route and some abandoning the idea. Sonia Gandhi chose to give away Raebareli and be a Rajya Sabha MP from Rajasthan.
With inputs from IANS
ALSO READ | Why did Congress field Rahul Gandhi from Rae Bareli and not Amethi? Know here
