What’s stopping Rahul Gandhi from entering the fray in Amethi and Rae Bareli?

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As per media reports, Rahul Gandhi is unwilling to contest elections from either seat. He is also opposed to the idea of fielding any family member from the two seats

The suspense over nominations in two Congress strongholds in north India—Amethi and Rae Bareli—is expected to end within 24 hours. Senior party leader Jairam Ramesh said Wednesday (May 1) that Congress’ Central Election Committee (CEC) has entrusted party president Mallikarjun Kharge with the task of announcing nominations on the two key constituencies.

“Nobody is scared, no one is running away,” he was quoted as saying.

Is Rahul Gandhi unwilling to contest?

But that not might be true. As per media reports, Rahul Gandhi is unwilling to contest elections from either seat. He is also opposed to the idea of fielding any family member from the two seats, reported Hindustan Times citing a source familiar with the development.

On May 3, the last date to announce candidature, Rahul doesn’t plan to file nomination papers from Amethi; instead, he is expected to be in Maharashtra’s Pune to attend a party rally.

“Congress president (Mallikarjun) Khargeji is still trying to convince him (Gandhi), but it looks like his mind is made up,” HT quoted a party functionary as saying.

Why Rahul Gandhi is worried?

One of the topmost concerns is that Rahul has remained absent from Amethi in the last five years, focussing on his new constituency—Wayanad in Kerala.

Rahul lost Amethi in the 2019 elections to Bharatiya Janata Party’s Smriti Irani after representing the seat for 15 years. If he loses Amethi the second time in a row, it would greatly dent his support base in north India, especially in the backdrop of Congress projecting Rahul as the INDIA alliance’s principal challenger to PM Narendra Modi.

Congress workers annoyed

Meanwhile, Congress party workers have grown frustrated with the continuing delay over the announcement of the nomination. Amid slogans asking for Rahul’s nomination, Congress workers recently staged protests outside the local party office.

Significance of Rae Bareli seat

Former Congress chief and Rahul’s mother Sonia Gandhi represented Rae Bareli for several terms but now the seat stands vacated as Sonia has been nominated to the upper house of the Indian Parliament, Rajya Sabha.

There are speculations that Rahul’s sister and Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra may be fielded from the Rae Bareli seat.

But since Rahul doesn’t want any family member to be fielded from the two seats, it remains to be seen whether these speculations turn into reality.

Both seats will go to polls in the fifth phase of the elections, due on May 20.

(With inputs from agencies)