Ahead of the third phase of polling, the Congress on Monday appointed former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot as the party's senior observers for the Amethi and Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituencies. In a release shared on the social media platform X, the party announced the names of the leaders.
It is pertinent to note that the decision comes after the party candidates from Rae Bareli, Amethi Rahul Gandhi, and Kishori Lal Sharma filed their nominations on May 3. Speaking about his appointment as the AICC Senior Observer, the former Chhattisgarh CM thanked the party leadership for the responsibility. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Baghel said, "Thanks to the top leadership for this big responsibility and trust."
Meanwhile, on the Congress's strategy for the poll campaign in the two hotly contested seats, party sources informed us that Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi has taken the lead. She will spearhead the election campaign in these parliamentary constituencies to ensure the party's victory, sources said.
Priyanka Gandhi will aggressively campaign for the party's victory and will remain camped in Rae Bareli and Amethi from Monday onwards, till the end of the polls.
Further, it is pertinent to note that this is the first time in years that the Congress party has fielded a non-Gandhi candidate from the Amethi seat. Considered to be the bastian of the Gandhi family, the Amethi seat until recently was represented by Rahul Gandhi; however, he lost the seat to BJP leader Smriti Irani in the 2019 general elections.
Earlier, speaking to the media ahead of the election to the seat, Congress candidate from Amethi and Gandhi family loyalist Kishori Lal Sharma said, "It was the decision of the party leadership because earlier it was not finalized who would contest from here... The thing is that now I will defeat Smriti Irani. This is a big statement I am making today:Mai koi Naukri nahi kar raha Gandhi Privar ki'. I am a politician. I came here in 1983 through the Youth Congress. I don't take a salary from Congress. I am a pure politician."
Further, on his nomination from Raebareli, Rahul Gandhi said, "The nomination from Raebareli was an emotional moment for me! My mother has entrusted me with the responsibility of the family's workplace with great confidence and allowed me to serve it. Amethi and Rae Bareli are not different for me; both are my family, and I am happy that Kishori Lal ji, who has been serving the area for 40 years, will represent the party from Amethi. In the ongoing fight for justice against injustice, I seek the love and blessings of my loved ones. I am confident that all of you stand with me in this fight to save the Constitution and democracy."
Significantly, the Amethi and Rae Bareli seats will go to the polls on May 20 in the fifth round of the seven-phase general election and a tought fight is set to be unfolded among the BJP and the Congress during the polling for the hotly contested seats.
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