In a last-minute decision on the final day of nomination filing, the Congress party has revealed its candidates for the Raebareli and Amethi parliamentary constituencies in Uttar Pradesh.

Rahul Gandhi, former Congress president, will contest from Raebareli, a seat previously held by his mother Sonia Gandhi for four terms. Sonia Gandhi, who recently moved to the Rajya Sabha, decided not to contest this time. Rahul will face BJP’s Dinesh Pratap Singh, who lost to Sonia Gandhi in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

The move marks a significant shift for Rahul Gandhi, who lost the Amethi seat to Union Minister Smriti Irani in 2019. Congress has nominated Kishori Lal Sharma to contest against Irani in Amethi.

Speculation had been rife regarding the candidacy of the Gandhi family members for these two seats. The decision comes amidst intense debate within the party over fielding members of the Gandhi family.

Smriti Irani, who defeated Rahul Gandhi in Amethi in 2019, has been vocal about her achievements in the constituency, contrasting them with Rahul’s tenure.

Amethi, once a stronghold of the Congress, has witnessed a shift in recent years. The constituency, created in 1967, saw its first non-Congress representative post-Emergency in 1977 and again in 1998 when Sanjay Sinh won on a BJP ticket. Since Rahul Gandhi’s entry into active politics in 2004, Amethi has been his constituency.

Meanwhile, Sonia Gandhi’s decision to step aside from Raebareli, a seat steeped in family history since Feroze Gandhi’s candidacy in 1952, has led to speculation about Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s candidacy, though the Congress has chosen Rahul for the seat.

Sonia Gandhi, in an open letter to voters, cited health reasons and increasing age for her decision not to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. She had represented Raebareli since 2004.

With the nomination filing deadline now passed, all eyes are on the upcoming polls scheduled for May 20, which will see Rahul Gandhi facing off against Dinesh Pratap Singh in Raebareli and Kishori Lal Sharma challenging Smriti Irani in Amethi.