Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Friday took a swipe at Rahul Gandhi, saying the Congress leader who currently represents the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat in Kerala, has now changed the constituency and decided to contest from Uttar Pradesh's Rae Bareli seat out of fear of defeat. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Gandhi had contested from Amethi as well as Wayanad seats. While he won from Wayanad, he lost the Amethi seat to Union minister Smriti Irani. In a press statement, Yadav said, "Rahul Gandhi ran to Kerala last time after losing from Amethi, now he is running to Rae Bareli seeing the possibility of defeat in Wayanad. He will face defeat from Rae Bareli also." "Rahul was thinking of contesting from Amethi out of fear of defeat from Wayanad, but Irani did excellent work during the past five years and the Congress lost deposits on four out of five assembly seats of Amethi," he said. Earlier this week, Yadav held a roadshow in Amethi after accompanying local BJP candidate Smri
The Congress on Friday said it has taken a decision to field Rahul Gandhi from Rae Bareli after a lot of deliberation and strategy, and that the constituency is not just a legacy but also a responsibility. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said it is a long election process and there are a few chess moves still left to play. He also justified Priyanka Gandhi Vadra not contesting any election, saying she can reach Parliament by contesting any bypoll, but is currently taking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to counter him on his alleged "lies" during campaigning. "Many people have given different opinions on the news of Rahul Gandhi contesting elections from Rae Bareli. But he is a seasoned player of politics and chess. He makes his moves after careful consideration. The party leadership has taken this decision after a lot of deliberation and strategy," he said. Ramesh claimed the decision to filed Rahul has devastated the BJP, its supporters and sycophants. "The poor ...
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma claimed that Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra are "irrelevant" in this North Eastern state and they are "past expiry date". He dismissed Vadra's allegations that there is a 'mafia raj' in Assam and claimed that there was peace across the state and all welfare measures were reaching the people. He also hit back at the opposition party's 'washing machine' jibe at the BJP and alleged that the Congress has a "big, high voltage washing machine" which was used to cleanse Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. "They (Congress) have a big washing machine. In which washing machine did they wash Arvind Kejriwal? I ask Priyanka Gandhi, four months ago she was saying Kejriwal has looted money through the liquor scam and now he is a good person, which high voltage washing machine she has?" Sarma said on Thursday, responding to the opposition leader's swipe at him. "Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are irrelevant in Assam. They are past expiry .
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's scheduled visit to Rayagada in Odisha on Friday stands cancelled as he has rushed to Rae Bareli to file nomination papers from there, party sources said. Congress Koraput Lok Sabha constituency candidate and sitting MP Saptagiri Ulaka said preparations are on to make alternative arrangements. "Rahul Ji may address the people through virtual mode. However, it is not yet finalised," Ulaka said, adding that thousands of people have already arrived at the meeting venue. The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) had earlier announced that Rahul Gandhi will arrive in Rayagada around noon and address the 'Nyaya Rally' near GIACR College. "Our leader Rahul Gandhi will not be able to attend the rally in Rayagada at noon as he is in Rae Bareli to file nomination papers. AICC general secretary Odisha in-charge Ajoy Kumar has arrived at the meeting venue. We are discussing what can be done now," OPCC president Sarat Pattnayak told reporters. OPCC campaign ...
Prime Minister Narendra Modi slammed the Congress for nominating Rahul Gandhi from the Raebareli constituency instead of Amethi
Congress names Rahul Gandhi at the last minute, hoping to capitalise on his family decades-long domination in the seat
Congress's Amethi candidate Kishori Lal Sharma on Friday said he would rather a Gandhi fight from the seat, but he cannot refuse the party's order which asked him to fight the election. Sharma, a close aide of the Gandhi family, has been fielded by the Congress from the Amethi Lok Sabha seat a longstanding bastion of the Gandhi family, breached in 2019. "Even today, I want the Gandhi family to contest the election from Amethi. But I consider it my duty to accept the order given by the family," Sharma told PTI at the Gauriganj Congress office here. "I have always been a 'sevak' of the Gandhi family and whatever responsibility the Gandhi family has entrusted to its sevak, I will fulfil it," he said. After days of suspense, Congress on Friday fielded Sharma, a representative of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, and before them, Rajiv Gandhi, in Amethi, as its candidate for the seat. Sharma is scheduled to visit the Collectorate later in the day and file his nomination papers before ...
After weeks of deliberations and speculations, the Congress announced on Friday that Rahul Gandhi would be its candidate from the traditional Gandhi family stronghold of Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh.
Uttar Pradesh's Amethi has long been synonymous with the Gandhis and it would be the first time in 25 years that a Gandhi family member will not be contesting election from the Lok Sabha seat. Considered a citadel of the Gandhi family since its creation as a constituency in 1967, Amethi has been represented by a Gandhi family member for about 31 years since then. The Congress fortress was breached in the last general election in 2019 when BJP's Smriti Irani beat Rahul Gandhi by more than 55,000 votes. This time, Rahul Gandhi will contest the Lok Sabha election from the Rae Bareli seat, while Kishori Lal Sharma, a close aide of the Gandhi family, has been fielded from the Amethi Lok Sabha seat. Sharma was the key person who looked after the two prestigious constituencies on behalf of the Gandhis. The last time a non-Gandhi was in the fray from the constituency was in 1998, when Satish Sharma, a close aide of Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, contested the polls but lost to the BJP's .
The surprise nomination of Rahul Gandhi from Uttar Pradesh's Rae Bareli brings the focus back on the VVIP segment which was first represented in the Lok Sabha by the former Congress president's grandfather Feroze Gandhi, who held the seat in the first two elections after Independence. The strong foundations that Feroze Gandhi laid in the constituency were later nurtured and strengthened by his wife and former prime minister Indira Gandhi, who won from the seat in 1967, 1971 and 1980, followed by friends and family members of the Gandhi family. Indira Gandhi contested from two seats in 1980 -- Rae Bareli and Medak in Telangana -- and chose to retain the Medak seat. Arun Nehru won the 1980 bypoll and subsequently in 1984. From Arun Nehru, who was late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's right-hand man, to Sheila Kaul, another Gandhi kin, Rae Bareli returned several of the Gandhi family members and aides to the Lok Sabha. The seat was held by Congress' R P Singh in the 1960 bypoll after the
While Rahul Gandhi will be contesting against BJP's Dinesh Pratap Singh for the Bareli seat, KL Sharma will be up against Smriti Irani in Amethi
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will contest the Lok Sabha elections from the Rae Bareli seat, the constituency held by his mother Sonia Gandhi earlier. Kishori Lal Sharma, a close aide of the Gandhi family, has been fielded from the Amethi Lok Sabha seat, the party said in a statement. Sharma was the key man who looked after the two key constituencies in the absence of the Gandhis. The two will file their nomination papers on Friday, the last date for the filing of nominations for the seats that will go to polls on May 20 in the fifth round of the seven-phase general elections.
Rahul Gandhi is likely to contest the Lok Sabha elections from the Rae Bareli seat vacated by his mother while a loyalist of the Congress leader could be fielded from Amethi, sources said on Thursday, with the party still to announce its nominees for the constituencies in Uttar Pradesh. Friday is the last date of filing of nominations for the seats that will go to polls on May 20 in the fifth round of the seven-phase general elections. When asked, All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Jairam Ramesh only said that the deadline for filing nomination papers is 3 pm on May 3. The sources said the party has started making preparations for the nomination filing in both the seats, which have been traditionally held by members of the Gandhi-Nehru family. Rahul Gandhi is likely to contest from Rae Bareli, the constituency held by his mother Sonia Gandhi who has become a member of the Rajya Sabha, they said. The BJP on Thursday announced Dinesh Pratap Singh as its candidate
Over the years, the Election Commission has backed arguments that candidates should be restricted to contesting from one seat
Addressing public meetings in Gujarat's Junagadh and Anand, the PM said he wishes to win the LS polls not for achieving his ambition but accomplishing "Modi's mission"
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Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday attacked Rahul Gandhi, saying he started his party's campaign with Bharat Jodo Yatra that will end with a 'Congress Dhoondho Yatra,' suggesting that the party will get a severe drubbing in the Lok Sabha elections. Addressing an election rally here, Shah alleged that Rahul, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and SP's Akhilesh Yadav did not attend the Ram Temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya fearing this may alienate their vote bank. "The 'shehzade' (prince) of 'ghamandia' INDI Alliance started his election campaign with Bharat Jodo Yatra but on June 4 (counting day), it will end with a 'Congress Dhoondho Yatra'," Shah said. "In the first two phases, Congress is nowhere, while Narendra Modi has made a century and taken a lead in the '400 race' (race to 400 seats)," he said. He said that this election is for ending terrorism and Naxalism and making India the third major economy globally. Shah hit out at the INDIA bloc partne
Amid the suspense over Congress nominees from Amethi and Rae Bareli, sources Thursday indicated that Rahul Gandhi is likely to contest from the seat he lost last time. With Friday being the last date of filing of nominations, the party is expected to announce its candidates from the two prestigious constituencies tonight. The sources said the party has started making preparations for the nomination filing in both the seats in Uttar Pradesh, which have been traditionally held by members of the Gandhi-Nehru family. They added that Rahul Gandhi is the most likely choice of the party for Amethi, a seat he lost to Smriti Irani in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Congress Parliamentary Party chief Sonia Gandhi is also likely to attend the nomination filing Friday, the sources said. They also said that the Congress has prepared an alternative plan in case Priyanka Gandhi Vadra does not contest from Rae Bareli, adding a grandson of former Congress leader and Indira Gandhi's aunt Sheila Kaul may
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday dubbed the Congress party a "disciple" of Pakistan, and said the neighbouring country was eager to make the 'shehzada' of the grand old party the next prime minister of India. His comments came amid reports that Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, a former minister in Imran Khan's cabinet in Pakistan, shared a video featuring Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on his social media handle and praised him. "Pakistan is crying because Congress is dying here. Pakistani leaders are praying for Congress. Pakistan is eager to make 'shehzada' (referring to Rahul Gandhi) the next prime minister. This is not surprising because we already know that Congress is Pakistan's 'mureed' (disciple). The partnership between Pakistan and Congress has been exposed. It shows the country's enemies want a weak government in India, not a strong one," Modi said. Addressing a poll rally in Anand town of central Gujarat in support of BJP candidates for Anand and Kheda Lok Sabha seats, PM .