"Rahul Gandhi, the incumbent Congress MP for Wayanad, will face off against CPI leader Annie Raja in the second phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, scheduled for April 26. The Wayanad contest concludes the election phase, turning attention to the critical constituencies of Raebareli and Amethi in Uttar Pradesh.
Nominations for Amethi and Raebareli open on April 26, the same day as the Wayanad polls. Sources suggest that Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, his sister and key Congress figure, may embark on a pilgrimage to Ayodhya's Ram Mandir before proceeding to Amethi and Raebareli.
Congress insiders hint that Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi's candidacies for the UP seats are a strong possibility, although formal announcements are not anticipated before April 30. Party leaders have remained discreet about the potential candidacies.
Speculation abounds that the Gandhi siblings may visit Ayodhya to seek blessings from Ram Lala prior to their campaigns in Amethi and Raebareli. This potential visit remains unconfirmed, however.
A senior Congress leader indicated the likelihood of back-to-back nominations if both Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi decide to contest, leaving a narrow window between May 1 and May 3 for the nomination filing process. The final date for nominations is May 3, adding urgency to the decision-making within the Congress camp.
Rahul Gandhi's political journey began in Amethi in 2004, where he secured three consecutive victories before his defeat by BJP's Smriti Irani in 2019. Gandhi subsequently won the Wayanad seat in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Raebareli has been a Congress stronghold since 2004, held by Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi's mother, since that year. However, in February 2024, Sonia Gandhi announced her withdrawal from the Raebareli constituency, having been elected to the Rajya Sabha. Raebareli stands as the sole constituency in Uttar Pradesh where the Congress emerged victorious in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
The prospect of a Gandhi contender in the Congress bastions of Raebareli and Amethi has been a subject of ongoing speculation. Both constituencies will vote in the fifth phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, scheduled for May 20."
