On June 12, 1975 Justice Jagmohanlal Sinha found Indira guilty of electoral malpractices, and declared Raj Narain winner from Rae Bareli. This paved the way for Gandhi declaring Emergency on the midnight of June 25/26.
The Congress party has finally decided that Priyanka Gandhi will make her electoral debut. Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday, June 17, has announced that Rahul Gandhi who won from two constituencies - Raebareli in UP and Wayanad in Kerala will retain the Raebareli seat, while vacating his seat in Wayanad.
Let’s dive into the history of the connection between Gandhi family’s one of the two bastions in UP - Rae Bareli.
Why Did Rahul Gandhi Choose Family’s Bastion Over Wayanad?
In the 72 years of India’s electoral history, Congress has held the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat for 66 years, with members from the Nehru-Gandhi family holding it for the maximum duration.
The protocol for MPs elected from two constituencies, as per Lok Sabha guidelines, mandates the resignation from one seat within 14 days of election results. Rahul Gandhi said, "It’s been a tough decision as I can’t represent both seats, but I had to make a choice."
What Is The Historical Significance?
The Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat was first represented by Indira Gandhi’s husband - Feroze Gandhi in India’s first ever Lok Sabha elections in 1952. Feroze, however, did not complete his second term, passing away in 1960 at the age of only 47.
Then Indira Gandhi, who till then had been a member of the Rajya Sabha (and prime minister), contested her first Lok Sabha poll from the seat in 1967 and won; and repeated the performance in 1969 and 1971 as well.
The ‘Emergency’ Connection Of The Seat
In 1971, Indira Gandhi defeated Samyukta Socialist Party (SSP) candidate Raj Narain by a margin of over 1.1 lakh votes in this seat. After his loss, Raj Narain filed a petition before the Allahabad High Court accusing Indira of having used the government machinery to gain an unfair advantage in the election.
On June 12, 1975 Justice Jagmohanlal Sinha found Indira guilty of electoral malpractices, and declared Raj Narain winner from Rae Bareli. On June 24, the Supreme Court upheld the High Court judgement, but allowed Indira to continue as prime minister pending the resolution of her appeal. This paved the way for Gandhi declaring Emergency on the midnight of June 25/26.
From 1980 To 2024
In the 1980 elections, Indira contested from two seats — Medak in Andhra Pradesh (present day Telangana), and Rae Bareli. She won in both the seats and chose to retain Medak and resigned from the Rae Bareli seat.
In the following by-poll, Congress fielded Arun Nehru, cousin of Indira, who would go on to win the seat, and then retain it in 1985. In the 1990s, Rae Bareli switched between Congress and BJP. Sonia Gandhi held the seat for the longest time from the family - for 20 straight years (2004-2024).
Priyanka’s Poll Debut From Wayanad
Regarding Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's candidature, Rahul Gandhi expressed his continuous commitment to Wayanad: "You are now going to have two MPs, and I will keep visiting.”
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra shared her enthusiasm for representing Wayanad: "I am thrilled to represent Wayanad and I will ensure that the people do not miss Rahul's presence." She also said, "My relationship with Rae Bareli and Amethi is longstanding and unbreakable. I will support my brother in Rae Bareli, and we will both be active in both Rae Bareli and Wayanad."
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