Congress set to retain Rae Bareli, Rahul Gandhi leads by over 2 lakh votes

The ex-Congress chief is winning handsomely from his other seat as well: Wayanad in Kerala.

Published on: Jun 4, 2024, 13:34:28 IST

By HT News Desk, New Delhi

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Rahul Gandhi is all set to retain Uttar Pradesh's Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat for the Congress, with the ex-head of the grand old party enjoying a mammoth lead against Dinesh Pratap Singh of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

FILE PHOTO: Rahul Gandhi, a senior leader of India's main opposition Congress party, speaks as he addresses his supporters during a public meeting as part of an election campaign, in Delhi, India, May 18, 2024. REUTERS/Priyanshu Singh/File Photo

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According to the Election Commission of India (ECI) figures, Gandhi, who is also winning handsomely from Kerala's Wayanad constituency, was leading Dinesh Pratap Singh by more than 2.2 lakh votes on Tuesday afternoon, hours after the counting of votes for the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections began at 8am.

In the previous 2019 national polls, Rae Bareli was the only seat that the Congress won from Uttar Pradesh, which is the country's most populous state, and sends maximum 80 members to the 543-seat Lok Sabha. Sonia Gandhi, also a former chief president of the Congress, won four general elections and a by-election in Rae Bareli.

Also Read | Giving you my son, he will never disappoint: Sonia Gandhi’s emotional pitch in Rae Bareli

Rahul Gandhi, who held the neighbouring Amethi constituency for three consecutive terms before being defeated by the BJP's Smriti Irani in 2019, was nominated from Rae Bareli after Sonia Gandhi vacated the seat and moved to Rajya Sabha in February due to concerns over her health.

Meanwhile, Rahul's impending wins from his two seats means he will have to vacate one, on which a by-election will be held. This could pave the way for his sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, to make here electoral debut in the subsequent by-poll.

Also Read | In Rae Bareli, Rahul Gandhi invokes Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi

Amethi, too, is going back to the Congress. Kishori Lal Sharma, the Gandhi family loyalist who was pitted against Union minister Irani, has built a commanding lead over the latter even as the counting of votes is underway.

The final results will be declared later in the day.

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