No Gandhi From Amethi This Time, Rahul Gandhi To Contest From Raebareli

A victory for Rahul Gandhi in both Raebareli and Wayanad could lead to a conundrum for the party, since he would have to vacate one of two seats which have equal claims on him.

The Congress's 11th-hour, post-midnight decision on Amethi and Raebareli contained a big twist. Rahul Gandhi, expected to make an all-out bid to win back Amethi, has been announced as the party candidate from Raebareli, the seat vacated recently by his mother Sonia Gandhi when she moved to Rajya Sabha.

In Amethi, the family bastion which defected to the BJP five years ago, the Congress will be represented by KL Sharma, a longtime loyalist of the Gandhi family. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra could not be prevailed on to contest from Raebareli -- which she had nursed for over a decade on her mother's behalf.

Both candidates will file their papers today -- the last day for filing nominations for the Fifth Phase of election on May 20.