Having faced much political embarrassment after the drubbing in the 2012 Uttar Pradesh polls, Rahul Gandhi is in for another jolt when 'Uncle' Sanjay Singh joins the BJP and contests the Amethi election against him, reports Sharat Pradhan.
100 of the 1,198 candidates are women.
Spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on Tuesday said he could not visit Amethi during his ongoing anti-corruption yatra in Uttar Pradesh as the Ashram which had extended him invitation was pressurised not to call him.
She also tagged a video in which an elderly women is seen alleging that her hand was forcibly put on 'panja' (hand) election symbol of the Congress though she wanted to vote for the 'kamal' (lotus), the BJP's symbol.
The ruling Bahujan Samaj Party, which has already crossed swords with the Congress, is all set to launch its campaign for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections from the bastion of Gandhi family -- Amethi and Rae Bareli -- on February 9. The party, while announcing its plan to organise Brahmin Sammelans across the state, has decided to organise its first convention in Amethi, parliamentary constituency of All India Congress Committee general secretary Rahul Gandhi.
Before filing her nomination papers at the Collectorate Rae Bareli, the UPA chairperson held a roadshow and offered puja at the Congress central office.
"I am MP of Amethi first and its people are most important for me," Rahul Gandhi said on his first visit to his Lok Sabha constituency after being elevated as Congress vice president.
The BJP, which romped to power in 2019 on the back of an unequivocal mandate from UP, winning 62 of its 80 seats, was cut to size this time and had to be content with only 33 seats.
Over 65 Union ministers are likely to take oath, going by the visual of the meeting Modi held with his likely council of ministers.
The Election Commission has asked the returning officer of Amethi Lok Sabha constituency to probe allegations by Subramanian Swamy that Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi gave "wrong information" regarding his assets while filing nomination papers in the 2009 polls.
Amethi member of Parliament Rahul Gandhi has launched a series of 'chaupal sabhas' and mini road-shows to win votes for mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi -- seeking re-election from the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat.
'What matters is policies, not personalities like Priyanka, Rahul or Modi.'
Rajeev Chandrasekhar said in a post on X that his 18-year-long stint in public service has come to an end.
Priyanka's victory seems assured, but the broader implications for Kerala's political landscape and South Indian politics remain to be seen.
Sinh, who has been in the BJP earlier and was elected to Lok Sabha on its ticket in 90s, wields considerable influence in the Amethi region of Uttar Pradesh.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla recognised Rahul Gandhi as the leader of opposition on Wednesday, a day after the Congress communicated its decision to name him for the position to the Lok Sabha Secretariat.
Rahul Gandhi interacted with party workers over 'laiyya-chana' - a staple snack in this part of Uttar Pradesh.
In the past five years, UP's Opposition remained passive and defensive against the BJP, a trend that does not augur well for the impending battle.
Opening a new front with the Congress, the Mayawati government on Thursday created a new district named after Dalit icon Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj that would include Amethi, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's Lok Sabha constituency.
He accused the BJP of starting a "factory of lies" and using huge cash to lure voters but said he was confident that the people of Amethi won't fall into this trap.
Over 60 per cent voter turnout was recorded on Monday in 49 constituencies in six states and two Union territories in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections, with Baramulla in Jammu and Kashmir recording its highest-ever voting percentage.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will campaign only in Raebareli and Amethi, Congress said on Monday putting at rest speculation about her larger role in electioneering across the country for the Lok Sabha polls.
As many as 37 ministers have been dropped from the government in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's third term and these include seven with cabinet rank -- prominent among them being Smriti Irani, Anurag Thakur and Narayan Rane.
Ending suspense, the Bharatiya Janata Party has picked actor-turned-politician Smriti Irani to take on Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi in Amethi.
In spite of its not-so-cordial relationship, the Samajwadi Party and the Congress could join forces to counter Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi if he contests the next Lok Sabha election from Lucknow or Varanasi. Anita Katyal reports
Rai said that the terminology was part of the regional dialect and there was nothing obscene about it.
The seat equation for the opposition alliance will become a matter of debate as UP Congress state president Ajay Rai mentioned that Congress is prepared for all 80 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls and is ready to contest on all 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh.
The district authorities' permission to Rahul Gandhi comes two days after the district magistrate and Superintendent of Police had asked him to reschedule his visit on law and order grounds.
Police did not rule out the possibility of it being a 'political murder'.
According to an agreement reached after the telephonic conversation between Priyanka Gandhi and Yadav, the Congress has now got seats such as Sitapur and Barabanki.
She further said that Rahul Gandhi's words were not driven by animosity, despite his disqualification and subsequent legal victory.
Modi was addressing a public rally after laying the foundation stone of a factory to manufacture advanced AK-203 rifles in Amethi, represented by the Congress president in Lok Sabha.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday dubbed the electoral bonds as the 'world's biggest extortion scheme' and alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the 'champion of corruption'.
Several BJP voters say the Ram temple sentiment may give the ruling party a fillip but are also aware of the herculean task at hand and concede that it is a daunting electoral contest for Dinesh Singh, who lost to Sonia Gandhi in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
Campaigning for her brother Rahul, Priyanka Gandhi on Saturday asked the electorate in Amethi not to vote for "outsiders", an apparent reference his rivals Smriti Irani of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Aam Aadmi Party's Kumar Vishwas.
The BJP's top leadership will drop its MPs found to be facing anti-incumbency, according to its internal surveys -- a pivotal tactic to ensure the party achieves its target of winning 370 seats.
They said the filing of nomination papers will be a big show of strength and the top Congress leadership will be present.
"We are going to have a meeting with our partners tomorrow. These questions will be raised and answered there," Gandhi told a press conference in New Delhi when asked if the Congress and its allies will approach parties that are part of the National Democratic Alliance to try and form a government.
