Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Smriti to file nomination papers from Amethi today; Rahul may contest from family stronghold

A file photo of BJP leader Smriti Irani.

Union Minister Smriti Zubin Irani is poised to file her nomination as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from the Amethi parliamentary seat on April 29. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav is also scheduled to be present during Irani's nomination.

However, the Congress party is yet to announce its candidate from Amethi, although strong speculation suggests that Rahul Gandhi may contest from there again.

Yadav will arrive at Fursatganj airport at 9:30 am on April 29, proceeding directly to the BJP office in Gauriganj. There, he will participate in a roadshow for the nomination of the Union minister from 10:15 am to 12 noon.

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Earlier, Irani had criticised Gandhi and the Congress party for neglecting the development of Amethi. She also alleged that the Congress leader was considering returning to Amethi after contesting elections in Kerala's Wayanad.

Reports suggest that the speculation surrounding Gandhi's possible visit to the Ram temple ahead of filing his nomination from Amethi prompted his opponent, Irani, to promptly visit the Ayodhya shrine on April 28.

Additionally, it has been reported that Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi might pay their respects at the newly built temple before officially submitting their nominations for the Amethi and Rae Bareli constituencies, respectively, where candidates have yet to be announced. The Congress leadership boycotted the January 22 ceremony, alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had politicised the event.

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Amethi is slated to go to polls in the fifth phase on May 20, with the deadline for filing nominations set for May 3. The grand old party is expected to finalise its candidates soon.

In the 2019 elections, Gandhi suffered a defeat in Amethi to Irani, a setback that was widely viewed as a blow to the Congress's prestige. Despite this loss, Gandhi has maintained a strong connection with Amethi, often referring to the constituency as "his home" in several instances.

The electoral rivalry between Gandhi and Irani for the Amethi seat currently stands tied at 1-1. Gandhi initially established his presence in Amethi in 2004 and served as an MP there until 2019. In the preceding elections of 2014, Gandhi secured victory over Irani by a significant margin of nearly 1 lakh votes.

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Amethi has been a stronghold for the Congress party since its establishment in 1967. Sanjay Gandhi, the younger son of Indira Gandhi, contested for the first time in 1977 but faced defeat due to the widespread backlash against the Emergency.

He later secured victory in 1980 but lost his life in a plane crash the following year, in 1981. Subsequently, his elder brother, Rajiv Gandhi, ventured into politics and contested from Amethi in 1981. He was re-elected in 1984, 1989, and 1991 until his assassination.

Sonia Gandhi entered politics in the late 1990s and contested from this constituency in 1999. However, in 2004, she shifted her electoral focus to Rae Bareli, a seat previously represented by her in-laws Feroze Gandhi and later Indira Gandhi.

Rahul Gandhi assumed control of the family's stronghold in 2004 and was subsequently re-elected in both 2009 and 2014.