Robert Vadra drops another hint at contesting from Amethi
Robert Vadra, businessman and husband of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, once again hinted at his potential entry into politics. Raising speculation of contesting the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Vadra on Monday said he was getting calls from party workers all over the country, including Amethi, showing their support. Notably, the Congress is yet to announce its candidate for Amethi seat.
Why does this story matter?
Amethi was once a bastion of the Nehru-Gandhi family until 2019, when the Bharatiya Janata Party's candidate Smriti Irani defeated Rahul Gandhi from the seat. While the BJP has re-nominated Irani for the Amethi seat, the Congress has kept mum about its choice. To recall, he previously hinted about joining politics in April 2022 too, saying he was willing to do so "if people want."
Vadra receives nationwide support for political career
On Monday, Vadra told news agency IANS, "Not just Amethi, I am getting party workers' support from all over the country to actively join politics." He also noted that his potential candidacy in Amethi is gaining more attention because he has campaigned there since 1999. Last week, Vadra said, "The people of Amethi understood their mistake. And I feel now they want a Gandhi family member to represent the constituency."
Vadra believes Amethi residents will rectify past mistake
In his IANS interview, he added, "They (people of Amethi) feel that if I contest from there, they'll have the option of correcting their mistake." He is confident that if he contests, they will ensure his victory by a significant margin. However, Vadra assured he would fully support Congress leader Rahul Gandhi if he chose to run for the Amethi seat.
Vadra criticizes BJP's approach to state governments
Earlier, Vadra also accused Irani of abusing her power to make noise and target the Gandhi family, emphasizing that the Gandhis have served Raebareli, Amethi, and Sultanpur tirelessly for years. Vadra voiced criticism towards the central government led by Narendra Modi, accusing the BJP of destabilizing governments where the Congress had won assembly elections. He stated, "If a party has won elections...it should be allowed to complete its term. This kind of politics is not democracy but dictatorship."
