The Congress party on Friday announced that Rahul Gandhi will contest the general elections from the family bastion seat of Raebareli as well. The seat was recently vacated by his mother, Sonia Gandhi, following her election to the Rajya Sabha. The BJP has nominated Dinesh Pratap Singh from this constituency.

The Congress has chosen Kishori Lal Sharma, a party loyalist, as its candidate from Amethi, regarded as another stronghold for the party. Sonia Gandhi contested elections from here in 1999 before passing the baton to Rahul Gandhi in 2004. Rahul represented Amethi in the Lok Sabha from 2004 to 2019, following in the footsteps of his father, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, who served as an elected member of Amethi in the Lower House from 1981 until his tragic death in 1991. However, in the 2019 general elections, Rahul Gandhi faced defeat in this constituency, losing to Union Minister and BJP leader Smriti Irani.

Friday is the last date for filing nominations for the seats that will go to the polls on May 20 in the fifth phase of the seven-phase general elections.

The Congress has emerged victorious from the Raebareli seat in all but three Lok Sabha elections since 1951. Prior to Sonia Gandhi’s tenure, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi won from Raebareli three times. The constituency also elected Indira’s husband and Congress leader Feroze Gandhi twice, in 1952 and 1957.

Rahul currently represents Wayanad in the Lok Sabha, while Irani is bidding for a fresh term from Amethi.

(With agency inputs)