Even as the Congress party is yet to announce its candidate for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi constituency, posters featuring Robert Vadra, husband of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, appeared outside the party’s office on April 24 in the Gauriganj area of Amethi. This development has fuelled speculation about his potential candidacy, as the nomination filing deadline rapidly approaches.
The sighting of Mr. Vadra’s posters comes shortly a day after Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) candidate for Amethi, Smriti Irani took a jibe at Rahul Gandhi and his brother-in-law suggesting that Mr. Vadra has an eye on the constituency, stating, “Jijaji ki nazar hai, saale sahab kya karenge?” [”The brother-in-law has an eye, what will the brother do?”].
Earlier on April 23 Ms. Irani said, “There is one thing to worry about, whether Rahul Gandhi knows something or not, his brother-in-law knows Jagdishpur. People of Jagdishpur need to beware now. If his brother-in-law knows Jagdishpur, every village, every house, every person now needs to hide their property papers.”
Ms. Irani defeated Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Amethi.
The Congress has not yet officially declared its candidate for Amethi, but the appearance of posters featuring Mr. Vadra has sparked considerable speculation.
Earlier, Mr. Vadra made a pitch for his own candidature claiming 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 to return, 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 had said.
Mr. 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 be taken by the Congress party,” he said.
Mr. Vadra said he had joined hands with Ms. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for the Congress campaign in Amethi in the 1999 Lok Sabha polls.
Earlier, on April 16 Congress national general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s husband hinted about a political debut in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Stating that while he has attempted to stay away from politics he has not ruled out entering the electoral fray if the party feels he can bring about a change.
“I have stayed away from politics, but different political parties wanted to pull me into politics and used tactics to trouble me for being connected to the Gandhi family. I have always been treated as a political tool and a soft target or hard target whenever there is an election,” Mr. Vadra said, speaking to ANI.
Amethi Lok Sabha constituency will vote in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections on May 20. The election for 543 Lok Sabha seats in the country will be held in seven phases starting April 19. Nearly 97 crore voters are eligible to cast votes in the 2024 general elections. The counting of votes has been scheduled for June 4.
The most populous State, which sends the most members to the Lower House of Parliament, at 80, will poll across all seven phases.
