Rahul Gandhi to contest LS polls from Rae Bareli, his loyalist KL Sharma from Amethi

New Delhi/Amethi May 3 (PTI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will contest the Lok Sabha elections from the Rae Bareli seat in Uttar Pradesh, the constituency held by his mother Sonia Gandhi for the last two decades.

Kishori Lal Sharma, a close aide of the Gandhi family, has been fielded from the Amethi Lok Sabha seat, the party said in a statement on Friday.

Sharma was the key person who looked after the two prestigious constituencies in the absence of the Gandhis.

Rahul and Sharma will file their nomination papers on Friday, the last date for the filing of nominations for the seats.

Rahul Gandhi along with his mother Sonia Gandhi, sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and brother-in-law Robert Vadra have arrived at the Fursatganj Airport in Amethi ahead of the nomination filing.They were accompanied by former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge will also be in Rae Bareli for the nomination filing besides a large number of party workers and leaders. The two seats will go to polls on May 20 in the fifth of the seven-phase general election.

Ending days of suspense, the party announced the candidates from the two seats early Friday.

Rahul Gandhi will be contesting from the seat which has been held by his mother Sonia Gandhi, his grandmother Indira Gandhi and his grandfather Feroze Gandhi.

The constituency has also been represented by family members and friends of the Gandhi-Nehru family. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in a message said, “Kishori Lal Sharma ji has been associated with our family for years. He has always been dedicated towards serving the people of Amethi and Rae Bareli. His passion for public service is an example in itself.”

“Today it is a matter of joy that Congress party has made him the party candidate from Amethi. Kishori Lal ji’s loyalty and dedication towards duty will definitely bring him in success in this election. Many best wishes,” she said in a post in Hindi on X.

Deliberations had been on in the party since Thursday on the names of the contenders for the two seats, which have been traditionally held by the members of the Gandhi-Nehru family. The BJP had on Thursday announced Dinesh Pratap Singh as its candidate from Rae Bareli. He had lost to Sonia Gandhi in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Posters and banners of Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav were also brought late last evening to the Congress office in Gauriganj.

BJP leader Smriti Irani has already filed her nomination papers from Amethi. The Uttar Pradesh leadership of the Congress had earlier called upon the Gandhi family to contest both the seats.