LS polls: Why the Congress choose to field Rahul Gandhi from Raebareli

Congress names Rahul Gandhi at the last minute, hoping to capitalise on his family decades-long domination in the seat

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will contest Lok Sabha elections from Raebareli, a constituency his mother won five times since 2004 until she moved to the Rajya Sabha this year.

In a last-minute decision, the Congress named Rahul for the Raebareli seat. Rahul, who represents Kerala’s Wayanad in Parliament, was defeated in the Amethi seat by Union Minister Smriti Irani in 2019. This time, the Congress has designated Kishori Lal Sharma as its nominee from Amethi.

But why Raebareli?

Since 1952, the Gandhis have been part of Rae Bareli's political landscape. Feroze Gandhi won here in 1952 and 1957 and then Indira Gandhi served as the constituency’s MP from 1967 to 1977. She later returned to the constituency in 1980 after a brief hiatus. Sonia Gandhi consolidated the family's grip on the constituency from 2004 onwards. Arun Nehru and Sheila Kaul, who belonged to the wider Gandhi family, have represented the seat too.

Congress strategists advised Rahul to contest from Raebareli and capitalise on its association with his family, said reports. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Rahul’s sister, was reportedly to contest against Irani in Amethi but opted out citing her commitment to nationwide party campaigning.

Raebareli is Rahul's safest bet considering the Congress party’s crushing defeat in Uttar Pradesh in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Sonia Gandhi secured 55.8 per cent of the votes in Raebareli when she won here in 2019.

The strategic significance of Rahul's candidacy in Raebareli extends to balancing the Congress's leadership demographics, particularly in Northern India, following Sonia's shift to the Rajya Sabha. With key party figures hailing from southern states, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and general secretary KC Venugopal, fielding a leader from the north is politically symbolic.

Kishori Lal Sharma: The key figure in Amethi politics

Following Priyanka Gandhi's withdrawal from the electoral race, the Congress needed a candidate in Amethi. Enter Kishori Lal Sharma, who managed Amethi and Rae Bareli seats for the Gandhis for decades.

Described as the party’s linchpin in the region by a senior Congress official, Sharma's influence has long been acknowledged in the political landscape of Amethi.