With defeat in the horizon, Congress looking for a safer seat for RaGa

With the 2019 general elections nearing in, speculations over lists of contesting candidates from different political parties are speeding up. In the foreground, taking the hot seat are the discussions over potential Lok Sabha seats for political heavyweights. Parties have been fielding popular candidates strategically to enhance their electoral prospects in the region. Uttar Pradesh, for its massive contribution of MP’s to the parliament, has attracted a number of top party leaders.

Amid speculations, former CM of Karnataka and senior Congress leader, Siddaramaiah has said that Karnataka Congress wants party president Rahul Gandhi to contest the coming Lok Sabha elections from the southern state. A proposal which Rahul Gandhi reportedly refused in the past. This comes just after the party had announced that party chief Rahul Gandhi would be contesting from Amethi and Sonia Gandhi from Rae Bareli.

Siddaramaiah tweeted, “Karnataka has always supported & encouraged @INCIndia leaders. It has been proved in case of Smt. Indira ji & Smt. Sonia ji. We also want our next Prime Minister of India Shri. @RahulGandhi to contest from Karnataka & herald new developmental paradigm.”

Party chiefs contesting elections from Karnataka is not new for the Congress, In 1978 Indira Gandhi made her comeback from Chikmagalur in Karnataka by winning the by-poll election. Sonia Gandhi had also contested from Ballari in 1999 general elections.

Amethi and Rae Bareli, considered strongholds of the Congress in this respect, are even more critical for the upcoming 2019 elections. Amethi, which is represented by Rahul Gandhi since 2004 in the Lok Sabha, has been seeing declining popularity for the Congress chief contrary to the party’s plan for continuing their stronghold over the Amethi Lok Sabha seat.

Recent trends indicate towards fast declining popularity of Rahul Gandhi in Amethi. With years of representation by top party leaders of the Congress, Amethi is yet to see major issues in the area resolved. In the 2009 general elections, Rahul Gandhi got 71.78 % of votes however in the very next 2014 general elections, Rahul Gandhi’s vote share saw a sharp decline of more than 25 % to just 46.71 %.

In contrast, BJP’s Smriti Zubin Irani who contested against Rahul Gandhi in 2014 general elections has been successful in making deep inroads in the constituency. In a visit to the constituency earlier Smriti Irani had said that she will leave no stone unturned for the development of the area and its people would be given benefits of all state and central government schemes. BJP saw a jump from just 5.81 % votes in 2009 to 38 .31 % votes in 2014, seeing a jump of almost 28 % in the vote share.

Addressing a gathering at an event in Amethi this month, Smriti Irani taking a dig at Rahul Gandhi said, “It is saddening indeed that the person who has been elected by the people to the Lok Sabha from Amethi has never spoken a word either about the place or the people in the Lower House of Parliament”.

Smriti Irani is expected to contest from Amethi against Rahul Gandhi. The defeat in the 2017 Uttar Pradesh state elections has also increased the heat on Congress for the search of a safe seat for Rahul Gandhi.  Unfavorable electoral conditions are arising for Rahul Gandhi in Amethi, many predict that Rahul Gandhi might contest the polls from two constituencies.