Hours left for nomination, Congress struggles to find candidates

TNR Desk

With just hours left before the nomination filing deadline on May 3 for the traditional Nehru-Gandhi family strongholds of Amethi and Raebareli, anxiety brews among Congress workers and supporters over the absence of finalised candidates. The Congress too finds itself grappling with uncertainties surrounding the candidature for these pivotal constituencies.

Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh had said on Wednesday that party president Mallikarjun Kharge would conclude the candidate selection process within 24 hours. However, reports circulating within party circles indicate a reluctance on the part of both Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to contest from the family’s traditional bastions. Efforts are reportedly underway to persuade them to at least contest from one of the constituencies.

he looming prospect of neither of the Gandhi siblings contesting from Amethi or Raebareli is viewed within the party as a potentially damaging political signal. Already, the delay in finalising candidates for these seats has placed the party on the defensive. Convincing Rahul and Priyanka to contest could provide a much-needed boost to Congress’s electoral prospects, said an analyst.

“It would be a massive moral defeat; a historical blunder that may take time to reverse in case BJP wins both seats,” said Vinay Chauhan, an analyst, highlighting the significance of the Nehru-Gandhi family’s presence in these constituencies.

Concerns surrounding Rahul Gandhi’s candidature for Amethi stem from his perceived absence from the constituency over the past five years, compounded by his defeat in the 2019 Lok Sabha election to BJP’s Smriti Irani. A potential loss for Rahul in Amethi, especially as he emerges as the principal challenger to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, could further dent his political stature.

Moreover, Rahul’s decision to contest from Wayanad in Kerala in the last Lok Sabha elections raised eyebrows, with critics suggesting it signalled a lack of confidence in his traditional stronghold. The prospect of winning both Wayanad and Amethi poses its own dilemma for Rahul, forcing him to choose between the constituency that launched his political career in 2004 and the one that sent him to the Lok Sabha in 2019.