Congress President Rahul Gandhi has refused to give clarity on whether his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will contest the election from Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency. Varanasi is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s seat.
In an interview with The Hindu published on Thursday, Gandhi said he would not confirm or deny anything on the matter. When asked about Vadra’s possible candidature from Varanasi, he said: “I will leave you in suspense. Suspense is not always a bad thing!”
Varanasi will vote in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls in the last phase on May 19. The election will be notified on April 22, and candidates will have until April 29 to file their nominations. The Congress has not yet named its candidate from Varanasi, while the Bharatiya Janata Party has already said that Modi will run from the seat again.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had joined the Congress in January and was named the party’s general secretary for the Uttar Pradesh East region, in which Varanasi is located.
There has been speculation that she may stand from Varanasi. Last month, when a party worker asked her to contest from Rae Bareli, she reportedly asked, “Shouldn’t I fight from Varanasi?”
She had also said that she had not decided yet if she will contest the elections, but would do so if the party asks her to.
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