Amid the suspense over Congress nominees from Amethi and Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh, party sources indicated that Rahul Gandhi is likely to contest from the seat he lost last time and face sitting BJP MP and Union Minister Smriti Irani.

With Friday being the last date of filing of nominations, the party is expected to announce its candidates from the two prestigious constituencies late at night.

Sources said the party has started making preparations for the nomination filing in both the seats in Uttar Pradesh, which have been traditionally held by members of the Gandhi-Nehru family and revealed that the entire Gandhi family, including sitting MP of Rae Bareli Sonia Gandhi and party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, is scheduled to travel in Uttar Pradesh in a chartered plane.

They added that Rahul is the most likely choice of the party for Amethi which he lost to Irani in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Sources also said since Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has declined to contest from Rae Bareli, a grandson of former Congress leader and Indira Gandhi's aunt Sheila Kaul may be fielded from Rae Bareli, earlier represented by Sonia.

Sonia has called it a day for electoral politics and has been elected as a member of Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan.

People and loyals associated with the Gandhi family are already in Amethi and neighbouring Rae Bareli and are believed to have prepared the nomination documents for both Rahul as well as Priyanka.

The Amethi and Rae Bareli constituencies go to polls on May 20 in the fifth round of the seven-phase general elections.

Sources said official announcement was delayed as Rahul's affirmation came late evening after he and party president Kharge, who were both in Shimoga at a joint poll rally in Karnataka, held discussions over his nomination from Amethi.

The Uttar Pradesh leadership of the Congress has already called upon the Gandhi family to contest both the seats traditionally held by their family. The members of the Central Election Committee have also urged the party leadership to field both Rahul and Priyanka.

The Amethi seat has been represented by Rahul from 2004 and he remained the member of Parliament from the constituency for three consecutive terms till 2019. He currently represents the Wayanad constituency in Kerala from where he has contested this time also.

The Rae Bareli constituency was represented by Sonia Gandhi from 2004 to 2024. Prior to that, Sonia Gandhi had represented the Amethi Lok Sabha constituency after she entered politics and contested for the first time in 1999. The seat has previously been represented by Sanjay Gandhi and former Prime Minister late Rajiv Gandhi.

Congress has forged an alliance with the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh as part of the INDIA Bloc and is contesting 17 Lok Sabha seats in the State.