Rahul Gandhi Reflects on Being Nominated From Raebareli by his Mother

The Congress leader recently expressed a strong emotional connection to Raebareli, which he called his family’s “karmabhoomi”. Following the filing of his nomination papers from Sonia Gandhi’s former constituency, he described the occasion as deeply moving.

He emphasized his family’s historical connection to the area, as both his grandmother, Indira Gandhi, and grandfather, Feroze Gandhi, had also represented Raebareli in the Lok Sabha. Accompanied by Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, her husband Robert Vadra, and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Mr. Gandhi also made it clear that both Raebareli and his previous constituency, Amethi, hold equal importance for him.

He expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve both areas and solicited the support of the people in his fight for justice and democracy. The decision to field Mr. Gandhi from Raebareli and Kishori Lal Sharma from Amethi has been criticized by the BJP, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggesting that Mr. Gandhi had “run away” from the challenging opposition.

Union Minister Smriti Irani, who defeated Mr. Gandhi in the 2019 election, also took a dig at him, stating that the absence of the Gandhi family in the Amethi election indicates the Congress party’s acceptance of defeat. She further remarked that Mr. Gandhi, who did not gain acceptance in Amethi and instead ran to Wayanad, would never truly belong to Raebareli.

Polling in Amethi and Raebareli is scheduled for the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections on May 20.