New Delhi:

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi was given a shoutout by party leaders including Shashi Tharoor and her husband Robert Vadra after it was announced that she would be contesting the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat in Kerala, a seat previously held by his brother Rahul Gandhi.

Mr Tharoor took to X, proclaiming, “No more doubt, here comes Priyanka.” Robert Vadra echoed this sentiment by sharing the same image with folded hands and a heart emoji.

न शक रहा ना शंका
लो आ गई प्रियंका !#WelcomeToWayanad@INCIndiapic.twitter.com/B9YFMouOhP

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) June 18, 2024

pic.twitter.com/bI0dgvs7HT

— Robert Vadra (@irobertvadra) June 17, 2024

Since her entry into active politics in 2019, Priyanka, 52, has been seen as a potential challenger to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, particularly from Varanasi, and as a successor to Congress veteran Sonia Gandhi in Rae Bareli. However, the Congress party has now decided to field her from Kerala’s Wayanad. Rahul Gandhi, who recently decided to vacate the Wayanad seat for Priyanka while retaining Rae Bareli, has expressed confidence in her abilities to carry forward his legacy in Kerala.

“I am very happy to be able to represent Wayanad. All I’ll say is that I won’t let them feel his (Rahul’s) absence. I will work hard and try my best to make everybody happy and be a good representative,” Priyanka said.

Her candidacy is seen as a strategic move by the Congress to strengthen its position in a state where the party has performed well in recent elections.

Priyanka’s political journey has been marked by her roles as the general secretary in-charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh and later the entire state. Despite mixed results in the 2019 polls, she continued to bolster the party’s grassroots presence. By December 2023, she had become the Congress’ key strategist and star campaigner for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, contributing significantly to the party’s improved performance, which saw it secure 99 seats, up from 52 in 2019.

Robert Vadra, Priyanka’s husband, who had earlier shown interest in contesting from Amethi, expressed his support as she takes on this new challenge. If Priyanka wins the bypolls, it will mark the first time that three members of the Gandhi family will be in Parliament, with Sonia Gandhi representing Rajasthan in the Rajya Sabha.

“I extend my best wishes to Mrs. @priyankagandhi ji on being declared the candidate by the Congress Party from Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency. I have full faith that the people of Wayanad will bless Priyanka ji wholeheartedly and will make her their voice and send her to Parliament,” Congress leader Sachin Pilot wrote.

Party leader Gaurav Gogoi said, “The voice of the people will resonate much louder with both Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi present inside the Parliament.” 

Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee chief K Sudhakaran welcomed Priyanka’s entry into Wayanad, stating, “From now on, two Gandhi voices will rise for Kerala in Parliament! Wayanad is stepping into history.” 

New Delhi:

Robert Vadra – Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s husband – has declared his backing for the party’s Lok Sabha election candidate from the Gandhi family stronghold of Amethi in Uttar Pradesh.

After much suspnse the party said last week its senior leader from the state – KL Sharma – will contest a seat that had been dominated by the Gandhi clan till it was wrested from them in 2019, when Smriti Irani handed Rahul Gandhi a shock defeat.

Earlier there had been much speculation that Mr Vadra, who has never previously contested an election, could be chosen to fight a seat that has, in the past, been held by Mr Gandhi, his mother and ex-party boss Sonia Gandhi, and her husband, ex-Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. 

READ | “If Amethi Wants Me…”: Robert Vadra Hints At Lok Sabha Polls

Mr Vadra, seen by a small section as an outside bet on a seat nobody from the Gandhi family seemed to want, had declared he would contest the election “… if the people of Amethi expect me to represent them… if I decide to become a Member of Parliament”.

Now, though, with Mr Sharma declared as the candidate, Mr Vadra seemed to backtrack.

VIDEO | Here’s what Robert Vadra said on wanting to contest Lok Sabha election from UP’s Amethi or Raebareli seat.

“Yes, I found a lot of people in Amethi and Raebareli who were very happy, excited and hopeful that I might take part, stand (in election) and represent them but… pic.twitter.com/ZepF1im5cm

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 8, 2024

“Yes, I found a lot of people in Amethi and Raebareli who were happy, excited, and hopeful that I might take part… stand (in the election) … and represent them, but the good news is Rahul Gandhi is amongst them… and I am very happy for Kishori Lal Sharma,” he said.

READ | “Robert Vadra Ab Ki Baar” Posters In Amethi Amid Gandhi Suspense

Mr Vadra continued: “… (KL Sharma) has worked in Amethi forever. He knows every area… every person. He can definitely bring the progress that Smriti Irani was not able to do.”

The Congress’ choice of KL Sharma has been heavily criticised by the BJP. 

There had previously been speculation of a blockbuster double-billing for the UP election, which would see Rahul Gandhi return to contest Amethi and Mrs Gandhi Vadra make her electoral debut from Raebareli, the seat held for decades by her mother, Sonia Gandhi.

Eventually though Mrs Gandhi Vadra opted against contesting the poll and Mr Gandhi chose to defend the Raebareli seat, saying he had been instructed to do so by his mother. 

READ | BJP Leader Calls Him “Gandhis’ Chaprasi”, Congress’ Amethi Pick Replies

In response, Smriti Irani took a fierce jab at the Gandhi family and the Congress, saying that absence from Amethi meant the BJP’s rivals had accepted defeat even before polling.

“Gandhi family not being present in the election fray in Amethi indicates that Congress party has accepted its defeat in Amethi even before the polling on the seat,” Ms Irani, the sitting MP from Amethi, told reporters.

“Had they felt there was any chance of victory on the seat, they would have contested from here and not fielded their proxy,” the BJP leader said, referring to KL Sharma.

Ms Irani took a swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who filed his nomination from Raebareli today, saying, “the one who was not accepted by Amethi and fled to Wayanad will never fully belong to Rae Bareli.”

With input from PTI

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Rishikesh, Uttarakhand:

Congress leader Priynaka Gandhi Vadra’s husband Robert Vadra, who had earlier expressed his desire to contest from the Amethi parliamentary seat, has said that the “entire country” wishes for him to get into active politics.

Robert Vadra also claimed that Smriti Irani, the sitting MP from Amethi has not fulfilled her promises.

“The voice is coming from the entire country. They want me to get into active politics as I have always been among the people of the country. People always want me to be there in their region. I have campaigned there (Amethi) since 1999. Smriti Irani, the sitting MP from hasn’t fulfilled her promises,” Mr Vadra said when asked whether he would contest from Amethi Lok Sabha seat.

Robert Vadra said that Congress is comfortably ahead of the BJP after the conclusion of two phases of Lok Sabha polls.

“People want change. They want to get rid of the BJP which is misusing the central agencies. People of India are with the Gandhi family as they are seeing the hard work put in by Rahul and Priyanka,” he claimed.

Robert Vadra had expressed similar intentions earlier this month, saying that the people of Amethi expect him to represent their constituency if he thinks of becoming a member of Parliament.

“They want a member of the Gandhi family returns, they will ensure the person’s victory with a huge margin, they also expect that if I take my first step in politics, and think of becoming an MP, then I should represent Amethi,” he had said on April 4.

Earlier, posters featuring Robert Vadra, appeared outside the party’s office on Wednesday in the Gauriganj area of Amethi. This raised speculations of a possible ticket for Vadra.

Robert Vadra, however, said a decision on Amethi and Rae Bareli constituencies will be taken by the Congress leadership.

Sources have told  Press Trust of India, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Rahul Gandhi are likely to contest the Lok Sabha election from Rae Bareli and Amethi seats, respectively. A final decision will be taken after April 26 and nominations can be filed next week, according to sources.

Smriti Irani defeated Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Amethi. Irani has been fielded by the Bharatiya Janata Party from the seat again.

As per the seat agreement between the Samajwadi Party and Congress in Uttar Pradesh, the Congress will contest 17 seats and the Samajwadi Party the remaining 63 seats in the electorally crucial state.

Amethi and Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituencies will vote in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections on May 20.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Amethi (UP):

Amid the suspense over the Congress’s Amethi candidate, posters demanding a poll pass for Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s husband Robert Vadra have come up outside the local party office. The posters read, “Amethi ki janta kare pukar, Robert Vadra ab ki baar”, meaning “the people of Amethi want Robert Vadra this time”.

Amethi votes on May 20 in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha polls, and the last day of filing nomination is May 3. While the BJP has announced sitting MP and Union Minister Smriti Irani as its candidate, the Congress is yet to name its pick.

Amethi has been a family seat for the Gandhis, represented in the past by Sanjay Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. In the 2019 election, Ms Irani pulled off a stunning victory over Rahul Gandhi, who managed to score a win in Kerala’s Wayanad. This year too, Mr Gandhi is contesting from Wayanad, which votes on Friday. With nominations for Amethi open till May 3, Mr Gandhi may file his papers after the polling in the Kerala seat. Recently, he was asked if he would be Congress’s candidate in Amethi too. “I will do whatever the party orders me,” he replied.

Mr Vadra has, meanwhile, sparked a buzz after he said the people of Amethi feel that if he contests there, “they’ll have the option of correcting their mistake of electing Smritiji”. “I am sure they will ensure my victory by a huge margin if I contest,” he said earlier. Soon after, some posters demanding him as the Congress candidate started doing the rounds on social media.

Ms Irani, whose campaign is in full swing, has slammed the Congress for the delay in announcing its candidate and taken a swipe at Mr Gandhi and his brother-in-law Mr Vadra.

“Jijaji ki nazar hai, saale sahab kya karenge. (brother-in-law is eyeing the seat, what will he (Mr Gandhi) do?) There was a time when people travelling in buses would leave their handkerchief to mark their seat so that no one sits on it. Rahul Gandhi will also come to mark his seat with a handkerchief because his brother-in-law is eyeing this seat,” she recently told a gathering in Amethi.

“Has this ever happened? Just 27 days left for election, but Congress has not announced its candidate. Such arrogance. What I could do in five years, Rahul Gandhi could not do in 15,” she added.

The Union Minister has also alleged that Mr Gandhi will come to Amethi after April 26 and try to divide people in the name of caste.

“After the voting in Wayanad on April 26, Rahul Gandhi will come here to tell everyone that Amethi is his family and stoke the fire of casteism. Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party rejected the invitation for the consecration ceremony of Lord Shri Ram in Ayodhya, but he will be seen roaming around the temples in Amethi. So there is a need to be careful and alert,” she said at a local meeting.

Top Congress leaders had skipped the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple this January, accusing the BJP of making a political project of the Ayodhya temple.

New Delhi:

With several prominent faces leaving Congress, businessman Robert Vadra, who is the son-in-law of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, has said that these leaders were after “power and position” and exuded confidence of the party putting up a good fight in the Lok Sabha polls.

“It is not right to say that there is no trust in Congress. I have met these people, they have experience. Right now they feel like they need power or a ticket or seat but they don’t put efforts into that. It needs effort. If you feel that your identity is based on being a minister and if that’s not there…they shouldn’t be worried. If they don’t get the ticket, it doesn’t mean that if any other party invites them, they run away,” Mr Vadra told ANI in an interview.

“There is a legacy, the Congress has offered them a lot, have done lot of things for them, their family. When they are with Congress for generations, they should have some patience even if they feel difficulties or if it takes long to come back to power…power is not everything. We don’t get angry with them, we bid them adieu for a good future. But people will see them and feel that they do not belong to any particular party and go where there is power or position. Only position matters to them,” he added.

Mr Vadra was responding to a query about some prominent faces such as Vijender Singh, Ravneet Singh Bittu and Gaurav Vallabh leaving the party to join BJP.

He said some leaders leave on not getting a ticket to contest polls.
“They don’t think what Congress has done for them. They feel there should be position and identity so they leave when they do not get the ticket or if any other party makes an offer. We have been witness to this coming and going for years. When the times change, you will see many people will return. But the Congress party, INDIA bloc and the Gandhi family will raise their voice, fight for the people… I believe that we will be able to put up a good fight. We will work hard for the people and those who desire for change will support us. We will talk about women’s safety, unemployment and development,” he said.

Spelling out his interest to contest the Lok Sabha polls, Mr Vadra, has said that he gets to meet MPs from other political parties who make him offer to join their parties and also assure that they will ensure his victory in the election.

Mr Vadra also said that the people of Amethi expect him to represent their constituency if he thinks of becoming a member of Parliament.

Mr Vadra said he wants Priyanka Gandhi, who is Congress general secretary, should become MP first and he can follow her.”I always want that Priyanka (Gandhi) should become an MP first and she reaches parliament, and then I feel, I can also come. I feel that I should become (MP) with my hard work, with blessings of Sonia Gandhi and Congress party,” he said.

“I will also say that because for so much time, I have been meeting people and there are MPs from other parties, when I meet them, they speak with me with love also and say come (to parliament) from our party and why are you taking so long and we will ensure that you win with a huge margin,” he added.

While stating his ambitions to be an MP, Mr Vadra also talked of the leaders he meets understating “the troubles” he faces “every day”.

Robert Vadra indicated that he will join active politics “at the right time”.

“It is not that from different places in country, there are invites, it is also coming from different parties that you come from our side and we will support you because I have friendship with several people beyond party lines, they see my hard work, understand it, and the trouble I face everyday, they understand it. They feel that if you are in Parliament then the replies you give, you will be able to give on a big platform, and the work you am doing can be done on a large scale if you are in parliament. There are several invites, there is pressure and my thinking is to work harder and stay among people and I will take part definitely at the right time,” he said.

Mr Vadra targeted Union Minister Smriti Irani, who represents Amethi, saying she does not visit the constituency frequently and people feel they made a mistake by electing her.

Smriti Irani defeated Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Amethi, a Nehru-Gandhi family stronghold, in one of the biggest upsets of the polls. Mr Vadra, who has indicated his electoral ambitions earlier too, said the Gandhi family has worked hard in Amethi and surrounding areas.

“They want a member of the Gandhi family returns, they will make him the person’s victory with a huge margin, they also expect that if I take my first step in politics, and think of becoming an MP, then I should represent Amethi,” he said. Vadra said that the decision on Amethi and Rae Bareli will be taken by the Congress leadership.”I’m not saying that I will contest from Amethi or Priyanka will contest from Rae Bareli. The decision will taken by the Congress party,” he said.

Mr Vadra said he joined hands with Priyanka Gandhi for Congress campaign in Amethi in the 1999 Lok Sabha polls.

“That time politics was very different, fear was sought to be created among people. We use to visit sensitive areas at night, put up posters, distributed bags, worked hard with our workers day and night and gave them trust that we are there and they should keep working in their areas and booths. They know how we hard we worked and there was brotherhood and love, which is still there,” he said.

“The people with whom I worked…outside my office, residence…they send message through social media, they cut cake on my birthday, arrange langar or other service for people because they know I like this. People in the country see that I stay among people, work hard as much as possible for the disabled and blind children and spend all n charity. I visit on religious tour and they celebrate my birthday and celebrate festivals in my name and distribute among people there,” he added.

Mr Vadra was asked if he could be a candidate from Amethi. Congress has not yet named its candidates for Amethi and Rae Bareli seats in Uttar Pradesh, where it is contesting the Lok Sabha polls in alliance with Samajwadi Party.

Rahul Gandhi won the last Lok Sabha polls from Wayanad in Kerala and is recontesting from the seat.

The Congress election committee in Uttar Pradesh had last month “unanimously recommended” that members of the Gandhi family should contest from Amethi and Raebareli Lok Sabha constituencies.
Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi has been representing Rae Bareli since 2004. She has now been elected to Rajya Sabha.

Lok Sabha polls will be held in seven phases from April 19 to June 1.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)