Raebareli: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi officially entered the electoral fray on Friday by filing his nomination papers from the Raebareli Lok Sabha seat, a stronghold of the Congress party. Accompanied by a host of prominent Congress leaders, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge, his mother and Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, sister Priyanka Gandhi, brother-in-law Robert Vadra, and former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, Rahul Gandhi submitted his nomination documents amidst fervent support from party workers and well-wishers.
The filing of nomination by Rahul Gandhi drew a massive crowd of Congress workers and supporters, as well as members of the Samajwadi Party, both constituents of the INDIA bloc, who turned out in full force to welcome the Congress leader to Raebareli. Cheers and slogans echoed through the streets as people showered petals on the leaders, emphasizing the enthusiasm and support garnered by Rahul Gandhi’s candidature.
However, amidst the spirited atmosphere, a minor clash reportedly erupted between workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Samajwadi Party (SP) when the former shouted slogans urging Rahul Gandhi to “go back”. Despite the brief disruption, the nomination process proceeded smoothly, and Rahul Gandhi’s candidature was formally registered.
Raebareli, historically a Congress bastion, has been won by the party on most occasions since Independence, with only a few exceptions. The seat was first secured by Feroz Gandhi, husband of Indira Gandhi, in 1952 and 1957, before Indira Gandhi herself took over in 1967. Despite intermittent challenges, including a defeat to Raj Narain of the Janata Party in 1977, Raebareli has largely remained under Congress control, particularly with Sonia Gandhi retaining the seat from 2004 to 2019.
In a parallel development, Kishori Lal Sharma also filed his nomination for the Amethi Lok Sabha seat, further intensifying the electoral landscape in Uttar Pradesh.
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