Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra are among the star Congress campaigners for Uttar Pradesh in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls even as suspense continues over the party’s candidates for Amethi and Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seats.
The All India Congress Committee (AICC) on Sunday released its list of 40 star campaigners for state that starts with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.
Among the Congress leaders from or of U.P. on the lists are national general secretary inchrage of UP, Avinash Pandey; UP Congress president Ajay Rai; Rajya Sabha member Pramod Tiwari; Congress UP Legislative Party leader Aradhana Mishra Mona; former Union ministers Salman Khurshid and Rajiv Shukla. Former UP Congress presidents Brijlal Khabri, Ajay Kumar Lallu, Raj Babbar and Nirmal Khatri are also on the list.
Himanchal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu; Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah; Karnataka deputy CM DK Shivakumar; Telangana CM A Revanth Reddy and former Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar are among the Congress’s star campaigners for U.P. that sends 80 members to the Lower House of Parliament.
Voting for the first phase of Lok Sabha polls in UP in eight western UP constituencies will be held on April 19. The Congress, which has got 17 seats in the state as part of its alliance with the Samajwadi Party, has announced its candidates on 13 seats except Mathura, Allahabad, Rae Bareli and Amethi.
{{/usCountry}}Voting for the first phase of Lok Sabha polls in UP in eight western UP constituencies will be held on April 19. The Congress, which has got 17 seats in the state as part of its alliance with the Samajwadi Party, has announced its candidates on 13 seats except Mathura, Allahabad, Rae Bareli and Amethi.
{{/usCountry}}Amethi and Rae Bareli will go to the polls in the fifth phase on May 20. While Sonia has announced that she will not run for Lok Sabha elections, neither Rahul, Priyanka nor the Congress has made any announcement of their contesting the polls from Amethi and Rae Bareli though the UP Congress had proposed to the AICC to field Rahul and Priyanka from the two constituencies.
Of the sixteen LS polls (including two bypolls) on Amethi seat since Independence, the Congress won it nine times—Sanjay Gandhi once, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi four times, Sonia Gandhi once and Rahul Gandhi thrice.
Of the 20 LS polls (including two bypolls) in Rae Bareli, the Gandhis won the seat ten times—Feroze Gandhi twice, former PM Indira Gandhi thrice and Sonia Gandhi five times (including the current term).