"It's not about family; we are competing against BJP": Akhilesh Yadav on candidature of Rahul Gandhi from Raebareli

Etawah (Uttar Pradesh) [India], May 3 (ANI): Praising the nomination of his ally partner in the INDIA bloc, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from Raebareli, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said on Friday that it is not about family this time, the whole family is on the field to protect the Constitution.
"It's not about family. This time, the whole family is on the field to protect the Constitution formed by Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar which has given us all our rights. We are competing against the BJP. Pichda Dalit Adivasi (PDA, coined termed by Akhilesh Yadav) will defeat the BJP. INDIA alliance is going to form the government. I congratulate Rahul Gandhi," he said.
Meanwhile, after days of speculation, Rahul Gandhi today filed his nomination from Raebareli, a stronghold of the Gandhi family, which was represented by his mother Sonia Gandhi in the outgoing Lok Sabha. There was anticipation earlier that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will contest from either Amethi or Raebareli, two seats in Uttar Pradesh which are prestige battles for the party.
Rahul Gandhi, who is MP from Wayanad in Kerala and is re-contesting from the seat, lost from Amethi in 2019 Lok Sabha polls to Union Minister Smriti Irani. Rahul Gandhi had won the seat, also a Gandhi family stronghold, three times in a row till 2019.
Rahul is pitted against BJP candidate and three-time MLC Dinesh Pratap Singh in Raebareli.
Congress has fielded KL Sharma, a loyalist of the Gandhi family, from Amethi against Smriti Irani.
Earlier today, Defence Minsiter Rajnath Singh took a jibe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for having chosen Rae Bareli instead of Amethi to contest in the Lok Sabha polls and said that everyone knows what do "we call a person who runs away from the battle in between.
"Rahul Gandhi has left the battleground and ran away to Wayanad. When his party wanted him to contest elections again from Amethi, he chose Rae Bareli. We all know, what to call a person who left battle in between," he said.
Voting in Amethi and Rae Bareli will be held on May 20 in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha polls. The results of the general election will be declared on June 4. (ANI)