Rahul Gandhi reasserts Amethi connection despite contesting from Rae Bareli

Amid speculation about his political future, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on May 17 reasserted his deep-rooted connection with Amethi, the erstwhile Gandhi family bastion, despite contesting the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Rae Bareli.

Addressing a joint rally with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav in Amethi, Gandhi said, "So, you do not think that I am contesting from Rae Bareli... I was, am and will belong to Amethi."

The statement holds significance as Amethi, once a Gandhi family stronghold, was wrested by the BJP's Smriti Irani in 2019, ending the family's decades-old association with the constituency.

Gandhi reminisced about his early days in Amethi, saying, "I came here for the first time 42 years ago with my father (Rajiv Gandhi). Whatever I have learned about politics, it has been taught to me by the Amethi public."

Praising the bond between the people of Amethi and his late father, he added, "At that time, there were no roads and no development. And I have witnessed the relationship of love between the people here and my father."

Despite the Congress fielding Kishori Lal Sharma, a longtime Gandhi family loyalist, against Irani in Amethi, Rahul Gandhi's remarks indicate his continued emotional connect with the constituency.

The high-stakes Amethi seat will go to polls on May 20, with results scheduled for June 4. Gandhi will contest from Rae Bareli, the traditional seat held by his mother Sonia Gandhi.