Ajay Rai to face Modi in Varanasi, Congress planning to field surprise candidates in Amethi and Raebareli

LUCKNOW: A recent report has claimed that Uttar Pradesh Congress state president Ajay Rai will contest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The report also stated that Congress has finalised nine of the 17 candidates who will contest in Uttar Pradesh. However, the party is yet to officially announce its candidates for the Lok Sabha polls.

With former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi becoming a Rajya Sabha member, the party has to decide its candidate in Raebareli.
A new face is likely to be fielded in the constituency this time. No reports have surfaced as to which leaders are being considered in Raebareli. AICC General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi is likely to be fielded in Raebareli. Earlier, some reports had claimed that Sonia Gandhi shifted to the Rajya Sabha for Priyanka.

The party must also decide its candidate in Amethi, where Rahul Gandhi lost in the last Lok Sabha elections. It needs to be seen whether Rahul will contest in Wayanad and Amethi this time as well.

The party will officially announce its candidates in these important seats after the Congress parliamentary meeting. Meanwhile, the seat-sharing agreement between the Congress and the Samajwadi Party for the Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh is a crucial turning point for the opposition INDIA Bloc. Congress may contest 17 of the total 80 seats. Samajwadi Party and other front parties will contest the remaining seats.