In a unique political twist, Mridula Katheria, who is the wife of BJP MP Ram Shankar Katheria, has decided to run for the Etawah Lok Sabha seat as an independent candidate.
It’s worth noting that in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Mridula had filed her nomination papers from Etawah but later withdrew. Meanwhile, her husband, Ram Shankar Katheria, emerged victorious in the 2019 Lok Sabha election from Etawah.
While speaking to the media, she said, “I have filed a nomination as an independent candidate…I will contest the elections. I will contest against him (BJP MP Ram Shankar Katheria).”
The Etawah constituency is scheduled to go to the polls on May 13.
In another development, Congress leaders Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Rahul Gandhi are likely to contest the Lok Sabha election from Rae Bareli and Amethi seats, respectively, sources said on Thursday.
According to the sources, the final decision will be taken after April 26 and nominations can be filed next week. Phase 2 of the elections is scheduled for Phase 2. In this phase, Wayanad, from where Rahul Gandhi is contesting, will go to the polls.
Smriti Irani defeated Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Amethi. Irani has again been fielded by the Bharatiya Janata Party from the seat.
Smriti Irani defeated Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Amethi. Irani has again been fielded by the Bharatiya Janata Party from the seat.
Apart from its traditional strongholds of Rae Bareli and Amethi, the Congress is also contesting in Varanasi, Ghaziabad and Kanpur.
Amethi and Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituencies will vote in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections on May 20.
However, Rahul Gandhi will not find the going easy in his erstwhile bastion, as Union Minister Smriti Irani has been campaigning extensively in the constituency.
Rae Bareli has been a Congress bastion since 1960, with both Feroze Gandhi and Indira Gandhi having represented it. Sonia Gandhi has been the MP from the constituency since she won the 2006 by-election. With Sonia moving to the upper house, the Congress is likely to field Priyanka Gandhi, who is a general secretary in the party.
Uttar Pradesh sends the maximum number of MPs, 80 in total, to Parliament. The first phase of voting in the state has already taken place on April 19.
The remaining Lok Sabha constituencies in Uttar Pradesh will cast their votes in the subsequent phases of the election, namely, Phase 2 on April 26, Phase 3 on May 7, Phase 4 on May 13, Phase 5 on May 20, Phase 6 on May 25, and Phase 7 on June 1. The counting of votes will occur on June 4.
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