The decision of the Congress to field Rahul Gandhi from Raebareli — a seat held by his mother Sonia Gandhi for years — has triggered a political war of words in the midst of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, with the Opposition mocking the Grand Old Party’s indecision.
Communist Party of India’s (CPI) candidate Annie Raja, who will be squaring off with Rahul Gandhi in Wayanad, said his decision to contest from Raebareli too showed no morality was left in the Congress. “Wayanad voters taken for granted by Rahul Gandhi. Why did he not inform that this was his plan all throughout. [After] Calling Amethi family, Wayanad family, now he will call Raebareli his family. This shows no morality is left in Congress,” she said.
Cheer for BJP
Since the Congress announcement, the BJP has been celebrating the move as Congress’ admission of defeat even before elections are held in Amethi — which was wrested from Rahul Gandhi by Union minister Smriti Irani.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday took a jibe at the opposition party, saying he had earlier predicted that the Gandhi scion would run away and look for a safe seat after polling in Wayanad is over. Without naming Rahul Gandhi who is the sitting MP from Kerala’s Wayanad, the Prime Minister asked him “not to get scared and run away”.
PM Modi said, “I had already said in the Parliament that their (Congress) biggest leader will not dare to fight elections and she will run away. She ran away to Rajasthan and came to the Rajya Sabha… I had already said that the Shehzada was going to lose in Wayanad. I had said that as soon as the polling was completed in Wayanad, he would start looking for another seat… He is so scared of Amethi that he is running towards Raebareli. They ask everyone ‘Daro Mat’. Today, I also ask them, ‘Daro Mat, Bhago Mat’…”
Addressing a rally in Karnataka’s Chikkodi Lok Sabha constituency, Union Home minister Amit Shah said: “… Sonia Gandhi has launched ‘Rahul Baba’ 20 times, but the launch hasn’t been successful. Today, he has run away from Amethi to file a nomination from Raebareli. I want to tell you (Rahul Gandhi) the result from here, ‘Rahul Baba’ will lose to the BJP candidate, Dinesh Pratap Singh with a huge margin in Raebareli.”
BJP leader and Patna Sahib Lok Sabha candidate Ravi Shankar Prasad said fear and hesitation of defeat were “evident” in Rahul Gandhi. “He (Rahul Gandhi) did not want to fight, must have been imposed on him. After defeat in Amethi, he went to Wayanad…Now it seems there is hope of defeat from there (Wayanad) as well… Fear and hesitation of defeat is quite evident in him (Rahul Gandhi).”
Smriti Irani’s spirited campaign in 2014 and 2019 registered the point that development had eluded Amethi despite it being a VIP constituency, and though she lost in 2014, people reposed their faith in her in 2019 with a winning margin of 55,000 votes.
BJP leader Shaina NC said: “Rahul Gandhi is a fugitive. He fights from Amethi, faces defeat; fights from Wayanad and wins from Wayanad; for five years he does not even go to Wayanad and now he fights from Raebareli…The ‘parivarvaad’ that has continued in the Gandhi family for 60 years is a betrayal with the people of Amethi and Raebareli…For five years, he (Rahul Gandhi) did not even show his face in Uttar Pradesh and suddenly he showed up. I believe people will respond to him and on June 4 you would come to know that Congress or Gandhi party is no more in this country…”
BJP’s Wayanad candidate K Surendaran took to X to attack Rahul Gandhi, asking which seat he would give up if he won from both. “The manipulative tactics of the @INCIndia and @RahulGandhi are evident once more. First, he labeled Wayanad his ‘second home’ for votes. Now he is also contesting from Raebareli. If he wins both seats, which one will he give up?”
Rahul Gandhi A Fighter, Says Congress
UP Congress president Ajay Rai said both Rahul Gandhi and KL Sharma (who is contesting from Amethi) have been among people and served them. “It was our demand for a long time that Rahul Gandhi contests from Uttar Pradesh. From Amethi and Raebareli, both are family members (as contestants). It is Rahul Gandhi from Raebareli and KL Sharma from Amethi. They have been among the people and served them… This (Rahul Gandhi’s candidature) is going to affect the entire election results. It is final that INDIA bloc will form the government… Rahul is a fighter, he cannot back off…”
The Grand Old Party’s MP Shashi Tharoor said the seat had been with the Gandhis since 1950s. “It’s Rahul Gandhi’s decision. The Raebareli seat has been with the Gandhi family since the 1950s. We are happy that he is contesting from Raebareli. Sanjay Gandhi contested an election from Amethi. We have a core support base in Raebareli. Rahul Gandhi will win from here,” he said. He added that Rahul Gandhi was not scared of fighting from Amethi but it was his decision to contest from Raebareli.
T Siddique, Congress MLA, called the decision a “surgical strike” against BJP and PM Modi. “Rahul Gandhi is clear and the most important person having the correct courage and strength against BJP. Through his candidature, we are grabbing some more benefits and additional seats from BJP. The INDIA bloc’s movement will be strengthened by his candidature.”
He added that BJP’s allegations of Rahul Gandhi “running away” were baseless. “First, BJP said Rahul Gandhi is not contesting from the Hindi belt. Now, when he decides to contest against BJP, they are saying he is running away.”
The sentiment was echoed by former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot who said it was Irani who was scared of defeat. “Everyone is happy. Rahul Gandhi is contesting from Raebareli. Both (KL Sharma and Rahul Gandhi) are going to win with a huge margin…Who is she (Smriti Irani) to say anything, she is scared…”
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