Congress leader Rahul Gandhi speaks during a joint press conference with Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav.
Credit: PTI Photo
Ghaziabad: Suspense over whether or not Rahul Gandhi will contest Amethi continued as the top Congress leader on Wednesday said that such decisions are taken by the party’s Central Election Committee and he will abide by its instructions.
This is the first time since the election schedule was announced last month that Rahul has responded to queries on whether he would be contesting Amethi, which he lost to BJP’s Smriti Irani in 2019.
“On Amethi, the party will decide. Whatever order I get, I will abide by that. In our party, these decisions are taken in the CEC (Central Election Committee) meeting,” he said at a press conference with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.
He was responding to a question on whether he would contest from Amethi besides Wayanad, which is going to polls on April 26. Amethi will go to polls on May 20 and the last date of nominations will be on May 3.
Congress has announced candidates for 15 of the 17 seats it is contesting in alliance with SP in Uttar Pradesh.
Besides Amethi, it is also yet to announce a candidate for another Gandhi family bastion Rae Bareli, from where former party chief Sonia Gandhi has decided not to seek re-election.
Congress has also not named a candidate for Rae Bareli for which Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s name has been speculated though she is learnt to be reluctant to enter the poll battle.
There has been demand from Congress rank and file for both the Gandhi siblings fighting from Amethi and Rae Bareli. However, sources said a decision on Amethi and Rae Bareli may come soon after the Wayanad polls are over.