"UP Congress wants Rahul Gandhi to stay in Raebareli": Ajay Rai

Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh) [India], June 15 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai on Saturday said it is the party's strong desire that Rahul Gandhi remains rooted in Raebareli as he has family ties with the region.
Rai emphasized the unwavering support of the entire Uttar Pradesh Congress in this regard, highlighting Gandhi's successful electoral performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections, where he secured victories in Wayanad and Rae Bareli constituencies.
"The entire Uttar Pradesh Congress wants Rahul Gandhi to stay in Raebareli because he has family ties with Raebareli," Rai said.
Rai further asserted the unity and determination of Congress workers across the state, affirming their readiness to contest upcoming bypolls and setting sights on forming the government in Uttar Pradesh by 2027.
"All our workers are standing strongly. We will contest the bypolls as well, and in 2027, we will form the government in Uttar Pradesh," Rai said.
Earlieron Wednesday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi expressed his dilemma regarding which constituency he should represent as a Member of Parliament saying that everybody knows the answer except him, and no matter which constituency he selects, the people will be happy with his decision.
At a public meeting in Kerala's Wayanad, the Congress leader said, "Many people are speculating, Wayanad or Raebareli. Everybody knows the answer except me... Don't worry, both Raebareli and Wayanad will be happy with my decision."
Meanwhile, PM Modi has defeated Congress candidate Ajay Rai in Varanasi with a margin of 1,52,513 votes, according to the Election Commission of India.
PM Modi received 6,12,970 votes, while Ajay Rai received 4,60,457 votes. Bahujan Samaj Party candidate Ather Jamal Lari was in the third position with 33,766 votes.
In Uttar Pradesh, the Samajwadi Party won 37 seats, the BJP won 33, Congress won 6, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) won 2, and Aazad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) and Apna Dal (Soneylal) won 1 seat each in the 2024 election.
In the recently concluded Lok Sabha election the BJP won 240 seats, much lower than its 2019 tally of 303. The Congress, on the other hand, registered a strong improvement, winning 99 seats. While the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance won 292 seats, the INDIA bloc crossed the 230 mark, posing stiff competition, and defying all predictions. (ANI)