Demanding a Gandhi family candidate from Amethi, Congmen stage protest

Congress workers in Amethi demand a member of the Nehru-Gandhi family to contest the 2024 polls from the Amethi Lok Sabha seat, amidst uncertainty over the party's candidate.

LUCKNOW: Amidst continuing suspense over the Congress’ candidate for the Rae Bareli and Amethi Lok Sabha seats, Congress workers in Amethi staged a protest and raised slogans demanding that a member of the Nehru-Gandhi family should contest the 2024 polls from the Amethi Lok Sabha seat.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and All India Congress Committee general secretary Priyanka Gandhi (Sourced)

The protest began around 1 PM on Tuesday but was briefly lifted when a party leader informed them that Priyanka Gandhi had been declared a candidate for Amethi. However, the party members’ joy was short-lived, and they resumed the protest when the report about Priyanka Gandhi’s candidature was found to be incorrect.

“Amethi Mange Rahul Gandhi, Amethi Mange Priyanka Gandhi” (Amethi demands that Rahul Gandhi or Priyanka Gandhi should contest the 2024 polls from the Lok Sabha constituency) and “Sabki Mang Hai, Gandhi Gandhi” (Everybody demands a Gandhi) are among the slogans that the party members raised while staging the dharna at the District Congress Committee (DCC) headquarters in Gauriganj, Amethi.

The Congress has yet to announce its candidate for the Amethi Lok Sabha seat, once considered the party’s stronghold. Senior Congress leader and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi had been elected from the seat since 2004. However, Rahul Gandhi lost the election to Union Minister Smriti Irani in 2019.