Former Congress leader Pramod Krishnam claims party could soon split into Priyanka and Rahul factions

Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh) [India], May 4 (ANI): A day after Rahul Gandhi filed his nomination from Rae Bareli as the Congress candidate putting to rest speculations of Priyanka Gandhi entering the electoral arena, former Congress leader Pramod Krishnam on Saturday made a startling claim and alleged that the Congress could soon split into a Rahul Gandhi faction and a Priyanka Gandhi faction. 

"The way Rahul Gandhi has left Amethi, Congress party workers' morale is down. Priyanka Gandhi not contesting the election, this is now taking the shape of a volcano in the hearts of her supporters that will erupt after June 4. Congress will again be split into two factions, one of Rahul Gandhi and the other of Priyanka Gandhi... I think Rahul Gandhi should contest from Rawalpindi instead of Raebareli, as his popularity and demand are increasing in Pakistan," he claimed

Notably, the Congress party on Friday fielded Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from Rae Bareli and party loyalist KL Sharma from Amethi, keeping Priyanka Gandhi out of the electoral contest. 

Earlier, Krishnam alleged that Priyanka Gandhi was a victim of the conspiracy going on in the party.

"I had already said that Rahul Gandhi will not let Priyanka Gandhi Vadra contest elections... There is a huge conspiracy in the family and the party against Priyanka Gandhi. She is the victim of a conspiracy in the family and the party," Former Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam said.

Krishnam said that Rahul could have contested against Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi if he did not want to contest from Amethi.

Rahul Gandhi is pitted against the BJP's Dinesh Pratap Singh in Rae Bareli whereas, Congress party's KL Sharma is contesting against Union Minister Smriti Irani in Amethi Lok Sabha constituency.

Rahul currently represents Wayanad in the Lok Sabha while Smriti Irani is bidding for a fresh term from Amethi. Raebareli was held by Sonia Gandhi who became a member of Rajya Sabha.

Amid talks over Priyanka Gandhi not contesting the polls, Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, in a tweet said that Priyanka was campaigning vigorously nationally, and hence she should not be limited to a single seat. 

On Priyanka Gandhi's absence from the Congress list of candidates for Lok Sabha elections 2024, he said that she can reach the house by contesting any by-election.

"Priyanka ji is campaigning vigorously and is single-handedly silencing Narendra Modi’s lies. The way she responded to the canards that the PM was spreading on the abolition of estate duty in March 1985 was a stinging rebuke. That is why it was important that she should not be limited to just one constituency. She is campaigning across the country," Ramesh wrote in a post on X. 

However, earlier there were speculations that Priyanka Gandhi would contest from Rae Bareli (ANI)