Amethi: The Amethi unit of Congress, tired of waiting for the announcement of a candidate, is holding a protest at the Uttar Pradesh constituency that has enjoyed VIP status for decades. Slogans of "Amethi mange Gandhi parivar (Amethi demands the Gandhi family)" were raised by Congress workers sitting on a protest outside the party office today.
The Congress is yet to announce candidates for the two prestige seats -- Amethi and Raebareli. Election for both seats is due on May 20, the fifth phase. Just four days are left for filing of nomination.
"This is a Gandhian system to summon our leaders," one of the party workers told NDTV. "Enough time has been spent dilly-dallying. We are running out of patience. They should just hurry up and announce the names," he added.
The Congress is still smarting from the BJP victory of 2019, when MP Rahul Gandhi lost to Union minister Smriti Irani after representing Amethi for three terms. The constituency was once held by Rahul Gandhi's uncle Sanjay Gandhi and later his parents Rajiv and Sonia Gandhi.
There was hope that the party would pick a candidate once the election in Kerala is over, but there has been little progress on that front over the last four days.
Sources in the party said a decision could be taken in another day or two.
There have been reports that Rahul Gandhi may not be interested in contesting from Amethi. A victory would mean that he might have to surrender the Kerala seat, which sent him to the Lok Sabha in 2019.
Asked about the matter, the protesting Congress workers from Amethi said while reports are possible, they have "full faith that the Gandhi family will contest from Amethi". To cover their bases, the workers though have been raising slogans demanding Rahul Gandhi or Priyanka Gandhi Vadra contest.
Ms Gandhi Vadra, expected to step into her mother's shoes in Raebareli, Is apparently unsure about a plunge into electoral politics.
Since 2014, there has been expectation that she would contest – from Varanasi against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014 and later from Uttar Pradesh after she was made the general secretary in charge of the state.
Union minister Smriti Irani, meanwhile, filed her nomination from Amethi yesterday, expressing confidence about a second consecutive term. Asked whether she would prefer Rahul Gandhi or Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as an opponent, she told NDTV, "I could not care less. Whoever comes will lose".