The Nehru-Gandhi family has a special relationship in the politics of Uttar Pradesh. Except for two Lok Sabha elections — 1996 and 1998 — someone from this family has been contesting in all polls.
This has happened only twice in the history of Congress when no person from the Gandhi-Nehru family has contested the Lok Sabha elections from Uttar Pradesh. Rajiv Gandhi had contested elections from Amethi in 1991, however, was assassinated before the completion of the electoral process. After his death, Captain Satish Sharma was made to contest the by-elections from Amethi in 1991 which he won. He retained the constituency even in 1996. Captain Satish Sharma lost the election in 1998 to BJP candidate Sanjay Singh. In 1999, Sonia Gandhi contested the Amethi elections and after this Rahul Gandhi became MP from this seat.
Amethi
In 1980, for the first time, a member of the Nehru-Gandhi family contested elections from Amethi. In 1980, for the first time, Sanjay Gandhi contested elections from here and won. After his death, Rajiv Gandhi won the Lok Sabha elections from this seat three consecutive times. In 1984,1989 and 1991. After this, after his murder, Congress party made Captain Satish Sharma contest elections from here. Captain Satish Sharma contested and won the elections in 1991 and 1996, after which in 1998 Captain Satish Sharma lost the elections to Sanjay Sharma of the BJP. In 1999, Sonia Gandhi contested elections from here and after that in 2004, 2009, and 2014, Rahul Gandhi contested and won elections from Amethi but in 2019 he lost the Lok Sabha elections, Smriti Irani won the elections from here.
Raebareli
Firoz Gandhi won the Lok Sabha elections from this seat from 1952-1962. Between 1962 and 1967, RP Singh of Congress won elections from here. From 1967 to 1977, Indira Gandhi contested elections from here and won. Between 1977 and 1980, Raj Narayan won elections from Rae Bareli from the Janata Party. After this, from 1980 to 1996, Sheela Kaul, who was the aunt of Indira Gandhi, won the Lok Sabha elections from here. BJP's Ashok Singh won elections from here in 1996, and 1998. Captain Satish Sharma contested elections from here in 1999 and Sonia Gandhi contested elections from here in 2004. She won elections from here in 2004, 2009, 2014 and 2019.
Fulpur
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru contested elections from here between 1952 and 1962, after which his sister Pandit Vijay Lakshmi was the Lok Sabha MP from here in 1964 and 1967. In 1971, VP Singh became MP from S Congress, after 1984, Congress party could not win elections from here. In 2019, Keshari Dev Patel of BJP won this seat.
Now it remains to be seen whether in 2024 the Congress will refrain from fielding any member of the Gandhi-Nehru family from UP, the state which has given the highest number of PMs to the country, or will continue its tradition.
