Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday, April 10, filed his nomination from his traditional stronghold of Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, one day ahead of the Lok Sabha 2019 elections which is slated to begin in less than 24 hours on Thursday, April 11. The Congress leader was accompanied by his mother and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the Congress general secretary of eastern UP.
Rahul Gandhi held a 3-km roadshow from Munshiganj-Darpipur to Gauriganj ahead of filing his nomination. The Congress chief was joined by Priyanka Gandhi and Robert Vadra during the roadshow. However, Sonia Gandhi later joined them at the District Collector office in Amethi.
The 48-year-old Congress chief will be contesting against BJP leader Smriti Irani in Amethi, who lost to three-time MP Rahul Gandhi in the rural constituency in 2014. After completing the nomination process, the Congress leader challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to debate with him. Gandhi wanted to debate PM Modi on the Rafale deal at any given location. He accused Modi of committing theft.
Later in the day, Rahul Gandhi will head to Katihar in Bihar and Raiganj in West Bengal to carry forward the Congress's election campaign.
Rahul Gandhi is also contesting from Kerala's Wayanad for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. He had filed his nomination for the Wayanad constituency, his second seat, on April 4. Gandhi was accompanied by his sister Priyanka Vadra and Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala in Wayanad, Kerala.
