Rahul to file nomination today

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, would file his nomination from Amethi Parliament constituency on the opening day of fifth Phase of on-going general elections. 

Congress President Sonia Gandhi would also join her son Rahul Gandhi for a roadshow at Amethi before the Congress Vice-President, who is also sitting MP from the area files his nomination papers on Saturday afternoon. Earlier, Rahul did the same when Congress president filed her nomination papers to seek re-entry to Parliament from Rae Bareli, on April 2 last. 

“Rahul Gandhi will be accompanied by his mother and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi during nomination filing,”Rahul’s representative Chandrakant Dubey disclosed to media persons at Amethi on Wednesday. “Both the leaders will land at Amhat airport in the neighbouring Sultanpur district from where they will undertake a 60-km-long roadshow and later Rahul Gandhi will file his nomination papers at Gauriganj,” he said. He said Priyanka Gandhi was not coming along, but she would come here soon for campaigning.

To a question, Dubey refuted opponents’ allegation of lack of development in the constituency, saying work had been done in every sphere and more development works would be taken up in the future. “Rahul Gandhi will fight the elections on a positive note on issue of self esteem and development,” he said. BJP has fielded Rahul’s cousin Varun Gandhi from Sultanpur district, where the aircraft of the Congress leaders will land. The roadshow will cover a distance of 16 kms in Sultanpur constituency also. Varun Gandhi has already announced that he would not campaign in Amethi.

Meanwhile notification for the fifth phase of the election in 15 constituencies in Uttar Pradesh would be issued on Saturday where polling is scheduled on May 7. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, TV star and Rajya Sabha member Smriti Irani of the BJP, poet Kumar Viswas (all three from Amethi), BJP general secretary Varun Gandhi  (Sultanpur),Union Steel Minister and Congress candidate Beni Prasad Verma(Gonda) and cricketer-turned politician and Congress candidate Mohammad Kaif(Phulpur) are the prominent candidates in the fray in the fifth phase.

According to state Chief Electoral Officer(CEO) Umesh  Sinha, April 19 is the last date for filing of the nominations and scrutiny of the papers would be done on April 21. Candidates can withdraw their papers till April 23. While Rahul Gandhi would file his nomination papers on the opening day of the filing of the nominations from Amethi, his cousin and BJP candidate Varun Gandhi will file his papers from the adjoining Sultanpur on April 15. Beni Prasad Verma is expected to file his nominations on April 17.

The seats going to polls in the fifth phase in UP are: Amethi, Sultanpur, Pratapgarh, Kaushambi(SC), Phulpur, Allahabad,

Faizabad, Ambedkar Nagar,Bahraich(SC),Kaiserganj, Shrawasti,Gonda, Basti, Sant Kabir Nagar and Bhadohi.  Notification for the sixth and last phase of the polling would be issued on April 17 when the highest number of 18 lok Sabha seats in UP would go to polls on May 12.There are 146 candidates in the fray for the first phase polls which was held peacefully on Thursday, while the second phase of polling in 11 seats on April 17 have 150 candidates in the fray. In the third phase elections in 14 seats to be held on April 24, 188 candidates are in the fray.