Lok Sabha polls 2024: Renovation work at Rahul Gandhi's Amethi house triggers speculation on his candidature

Rahul had recently said that the decision about his candidature from Amethi would be decided by the Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.

New Delhi: Amid the continuing suspense over his candidature from Amethi Lok Sabha seat, renovation and cleaning works at senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's house at Gauriganj in Amethi have triggered speculations in the political circles here that the former Congress president could also contest from his one time bastion along with Wayanad seat in Kerala.

The speculations were triggered after pictures of renovation works being undertaken at his house, which was behind the local Congress Party office at Gauriganj, an Assembly segment in the Amethi Parliamentary constituency, went viral on social media.

The state Congress leaders here remained tightlipped when queried if Rahul could contest from Amethi. "It is upto Rahulji to take a decision about it" said a senior UP Congress leader while speaking to DH here on Tuesday.

Former member of the UP Legislative Assembly and considered to be a close confidante of the former Congress president, Deepak Singh also remained evasive when queried in this regard.

"The people of Amethi want Rahul Gandhi to contest from the seat....they want him to represent them in the Parliament" Singh said.

On being asked if the renovation work was a pointer that Rahul might contest from Amethi, Singh said that it was "routine work" and had nothing to do with Rahul's candidature.

He, however, expressed confidence that Rahul would win Amethi "hands down" if he decided to contest from there.

Rahul, while speaking to the reporters at Ghaziabad a few days back, had said that the decision about his candidature from Amethi would be decided by the Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and the party's central election committee.

Rahul had lost the 2019 LS poll from Amethi to union minister Smriti Irani. Rahul however emerged victorious from Wayanad seat. He is in the fray again from Wayanad. 

Congress has not so far announced its candidates from Amethi and Raebareli which was represented by former party president Sonia Gandhi. Sonia was elected to Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan.