Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Robert Vadra, the husband of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi, has hinted at contesting Lok Sabha elections from the Amethi parliamentary constituency in Uttar Pradesh. In an exclusive interview with India TV, Vadra mentioned that there has been a widespread request from across the country for him to join politics.
Vadra wants Priyanka to enter Parliament first
During an exclusive interview with India TV correspondent Dinesh Maurya, Vadra hinted at his interest in entering politics, noting that there is a strong desire from the people for him to do so. As a member of the Gandhi-Nehru family, Vadra expressed that it's challenging to stay away from politics. However, he also mentioned that he prefers Priyanka Gandhi to enter Parliament first, suggesting that his turn would come afterwards.
Vadra said that he has been working on the ground since 1999. He said, "People want me to step into politics. Whether it's the state elections or the central elections, they feel I need to enter politics. Being a member of the Gandhi family, it's very difficult to stay away from politics. There are demands coming from many places."
He highlighted the support from his hometown Muradabad, where people want him to represent them. "I am from Muradabad, and people there want me to represent them, but I have done a lot of work in Amethi, Raebareli, Jagdishpur, and Sultanpur since 1999. If I talk about the South, there were a lot of requests from Telangana for Priyanka and me," he added.
‘My posters are being put up everywhere’
"People have seen my hard work, so wherever I go, people want me to represent them. My posters start appearing everywhere. Whenever I attend any political event, people from various parties say that I am delaying my entry into politics. They say that I should enter politics. They even say that if not from Congress, then join our party," said Vadra.
Addressing queries about contesting from Amethi, Vadra expressed his readiness to contest against anyone, including Smriti Irani or any other candidate.
Watch Robert Vadra's exclusive interview here
Congress bastion- Amethi
Amethi has been a stronghold for the Congress party in Uttar Pradesh since its formation in 1967. Sanjay Gandhi, the younger son of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, contested for the first time from Amethi in 1977 but faced defeat due to nationwide backlash against the Emergency.
He later won the seat in 1980 but tragically passed away in a plane crash in 1981. Following his demise, his elder brother Rajiv Gandhi entered politics and was fielded from Amethi in 1981. He was re-elected in 1984, 1989, and 1991 until his assassination.
In the late 1990s, Sonia Gandhi, Rajiv's widow, contested from Amethi in 1999. However, in 2004, she shifted her constituency to Raebareli, a seat previously represented by her in-laws Feroze Gandhi and later by Indira Gandhi.
Rahul Gandhi took over the family's political stronghold in Amethi in 2004 and was re-elected in 2009 and 2014. However, he faced defeat to Smriti Irani by a margin of around 55,000 votes in the 2019 elections.
It is pertinent to mention that Raebareli is also considered to be a Congress family bastion. It was represented by former Congress president Sonia Gandhi before she moved to Rajya Sabah this year, and earlier by her mother-in-law and former prime minister Indira Gandhi. Sonia Gandhi has never lost from Raebareli since 2004 and was the lone winner for her party in Uttar Pradesh in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
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