Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
Credit: PTI Photo
Newly-appointed Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai on Friday said that senior Congress leader and former national president of the party Rahul Gandhi would contest from Amethi Lok Sabha seat in the next Parliamentary elections scheduled for 2024.
Speaking to reporters at Varanasi, his home town, Rai also said that Congress workers would put all their energy to ensure victory for party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra if she decided to contest from Varanasi LS seat, which is currently represented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"Rahul Gandhi will contest from Amethi,'' Rai said in response to a query. Rahul, who represented Amethi LS seat in 2009 and 2014, lost to Union minister and BJP leader Smriti Irani in the 2019 LS polls.
"We will ensure victory for Priyanka Gandhi wherever she chooses to contest from....every Congress worker will put all his energy in ensuring her victory if she decides to contest from Varanasi,'' Rai said in response to another query.
The newly-appointed UP Congress chief said that Smriti Irani had failed to fulfill the promises she had made to the people of Amethi.
'"The biggest issue in the state is unemployment, inflation and intimidating the people to force them to support the BJP....BJP is using ED and CBI to intimidate the opposition,'' he said.
Earlier Rai was accorded a warm welcome upon his arrival at the Varanasi airport after being appointed the state unit president of the Congress. Thousands of Congress workers and leaders from different districts in the eastern region had reached the airport to welcome Rai.
Five time MLA from Pindra Assembly seat in Varanasi, Rai was on Thursday appointed the new president of the Uttar Pradesh Congress replacing Brijlal Khabri. Rai had also unsuccessfully contested against Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi LS seat in 2014 and 2019.