Rahul Gandhi files nomination from Raebareli

Raebareli (UP), May 3 (IANS) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday filed his nomination papers from the Raebareli Lok Sabha seat.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul's mother and Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, his sister Priyanka Gandhi, brother-in-law Robert Vadra, former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, AICC general secretary K C Venugopala and a host of Congress leaders from UP, were present on the occasion.

Congress workers and Samajwadi Party workers turned out in full force to welcome Rahul to Raebareli.

The workers of both parties that are a part of the INDIA bloc, loudly cheered Gandhi and shouted slogans

People showered petals on the leaders and various trader organisations felicitated Rahul who is seeking his first election from Raebareli.

A minor clash was reported between BJP workers and SP workers when the former shouted slogans "Rahul Gandhi wapas jao" (Rahul Gandhi, go back).

Meanwhile, earlier, Kishori Lal Sharma also filed his nomination for the Amethi Lok Sabha seat.

Raebareli, after Independence, has been won by the Congress except on three occasions.

Feroz Gandhi, husband of Indira Gandhi, first won Raebareli in 1952 and 1957, and after he died in 1960, R P Singh and Baijnath Kureel - both of Congress - won the seat till Indira Gandhi took it over in 1967.

In 1977, Raj Narain of Janata Party defeated Indira Gandhi but Raebareli went back to Indira Gandhi in 1980.

In 1996 and 1998, the seat was won by BJP's Ashok Singh but during this period, no member of the Gandhi family was in active politics.

From 2004 to 2019, Sonia retained this seat.