DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi filed his nomination papers for the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituency on Friday, previously held by his mother Sonia Gandhi for two decades. He was accompanied by Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
Rahul Gandhi arrived at Fursatganj airport earlier in the day and was greeted by a large gathering of local party workers at the collectorate where he filed his papers. Voting for the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat is scheduled for May 20.
Simultaneously, Congress loyalist K L Sharma filed his nomination for the Amethi Lok Sabha seat, accompanied by local party leaders. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra encouraged the public in Amethi to support Sharma. Upon her arrival in the constituency, she met with Sharma at the party office in Gauriganj and addressed party workers to rally behind him. Later, she traveled to Rae Bareli to support Rahul Gandhi in filing his nomination from the constituency previously represented by Sonia Gandhi.
Sharma's candidacy for the Amethi seat was announced on the final day for nomination filing for the polling scheduled in the fifth phase on May 20. Sharma is up against BJP leader and incumbent MP Smriti Irani.
Rahul Gandhi will contest against BJP's Dinesh Pratap Singh in Rae Bareli, while Smriti Irani seeks reelection from Amethi. Rae Bareli, historically a Congress stronghold, has seen members of the Nehru-Gandhi family winning the seat in most elections since 1951. Indira Gandhi and her husband, Feroze Gandhi, have also been elected from Rae Bareli in the past.
Both Rae Bareli and Amethi will go to polls in the fifth phase on May 20. Rahul represented Amethi in the Lok Sabha from 2004 to 2019.