Why Rahul Gandhi goes with Rae Bareli, and Priyanka not in the picture

Ending weeks of suspense and uncertainty, the Congress Friday announced its candidates for the traditional Gandhi family seats of Amethi and Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh, but with a twist. Senior leader Rahul Gandhi has switched to Rae Bareli, perhaps a safer seat than Amethi, from where he lost to Union minister Smriti Irani in 2019, while his sister and AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is not contesting.

The announcement came on the last day of filing nominations for the two seats, which go to polls on May 20.

In Amethi, the party has fielded Kishorilal Sharma, an influential representative of the Nehru-Gandhi family in Amethi and Rae Bareli for over two decades.

It will be after 25 years that no Gandhi will be in the fray from Amethi. Sonia Gandhi made her electoral debut from here back in 1999, a year after she took over as Congress president. In 2004, she shifted to Rae Bareli, making way for Rahul to make his electoral debut from the seat.

According to party leaders, the main reason behind Rahul shifting to Rae Bareli is that Amethi is no longer a family seat after the 2019 loss. Plus, should Rahul win from both Wayanad (the other seat he is contesting from, which voted on April 26) and Rae Bareli, it will be easier to give up the Kerala constituency citing the family’s even longer connection with Rae Bareli, plus that of Sonia personally.

In Amethi, there is, of course, the unsaid fear of losing again. However, Rahul’s decision to not contest from the seat is sure to draw barbs of having “fled” from Irani.

Rahul and Priyanka were initially said to be reluctant to enter the fray. Rahul argued that he could not leave Wayanad in the event of winning Rae Bareli, if the Kerala seat voted for him a second time.

Ther