Lok Sabha elections: Why Rahul Gandhi opted for Rae Bareli and not Amethi

NEW DELHI: The suspense around Congress’s picks for Amethi and Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seats finally ended on Friday. And yes, one of the Gandhis is in the fray in politically crucial state of Uttar Pradesh, as a senior party leader A K Antony had stated almost a month back. But there are some twists to the tale. As was widely expected, Rahul Gandhi has decided not to return to Amethi and Priyanka Gandhi will not be making her poll debut from Rae Bareli.
Instead, the Congress has fielded Rahul from Rae Bareli, a seat vacated by his mother Sonia Gandhi, who opted out of electoral politics and is now a member of Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan. There was anticipation that a member of the Gandhi family would be fielded to take forward Sonia’s legacy in Rae Bareli, which she represented for 20 long years.
So, why did Rahul opt for Rae Bareli and not Amethi?
'No prestige battle'
Rahul Gandhi is already in the middle of tackling perhaps what can be called his toughest political challenge. After leading the grand old party to two humiliating successive Lok Sabha defeats, the former Congress chief faces a daunting task of ensuring that the party rebounds in these elections and increases its seat tally to a respectable level. In 2014, the Congress won 44 Lok Sabha seats – the lowest ever by the party and in 2019 the party could manage only 52 seats.
Amethi, which for long was a Gandhi bastion, is no more a cakewalk for the Congress. In 2019, Smriti Irani defeated Rahul Gandhi to bring to an end his 15-year stint in the constituency. The BJP has fielded Smriti again, and in her, Rahul and the Congress would have had a tough challenger. If Rahul had decided to contest from Amethi, it would have turned into a "prestige battle" and the Congress leader would have had to focus all his energy and resources on the seat. A second successive defeat in Amethi would have meant a great loss of face for the leader and the party.
'Safe seat for Congress'
Rae Bareli has been represented by Sonia Gandhi for 20 long years. It was the only seat that the Congress had won in Uttar Pradesh in 2019 Lok Sabha elections. In fact, after Independence, barring three occasions, the Congress has been continuously winning the seat. Rahul would hope that the voters of Rae Bareli continue with their support for the party. He has already called Rae Bareli the "karmabhoomi of the family" and has sought the love and blessings of voters.
Alliance with Samajwadi Party
Uttar Pradesh is one of the few states where the Congress could manage a tie-up well in advance and without much of trouble. The party is contesting 17 Lok Sabha seats in the state in alliance with Samajwadi Party. Rahul Gandhi and the Congress would hope that tie-up with Akhilesh Yadav helps the grand old party in this important seat. Of the five assembly seats that come under Rae Bareli, four -- Bachhrawan (SC), Harchandpur, Sareni and Unchahar -- are held by the Samajwadi Party.
It remains to be seen if Rahul Gandhi's strategy of opting for Rae Bareli proves to be successful. For now, he is under intense opposition fire for dumping Amethi for Rae Bareli.