'Last Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar': BJP Takes Jibe At Rahul Gandhi Over Rae Bareli Seat Statragy

Hours after the suspense on its Amethi and Rae Bareli Lok Sabha candidates was ended by the Congress, a scathing attack was launched by the BJP on Rahul Gandhi, claiming that his political reign in his family strongholds would end similarly to the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar.

The Lok Sabha elections from his mother Sonia Gandhi's former constituency, Rae Bareli, were announced today by the Congress for Rahul Gandhi. The Gandhi family loyalist Kishori Lal Sharma will contest from Amethi. Rahul Gandhi was defeated in Amethi by BJP's Smriti Irani in 2019.

Union minister and BJP leader Giriraj Singh stated that Rahul Gandhi would also have to leave Rae Bareli. "The seat from where it lost is never revisited by the Gandhi family. Amethi was lost by Rahul Gandhi and he left it. This time, if he loses Rae Bareli too, he will leave that as well. Just like Bahadur Shah Zafar was the last emperor of the Mughal Sultanate, Rae Bareli is the same for the Gandhi family," said Singh, as reported by ANI.

Rahul Gandhi is currently the MP from Kerala's Wayanad. He has also contested the 2024 general elections from Wayanad. The BJP's deputy chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, Brajesh Pathak, mentioned that all 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh would be won by the BJP.

"Rae Bareli and Amethi will be won by the BJP with a substantial margin. Amethi was first left by Rahul Gandhi, who then moved to Wayanad, and now he has come to Rae Bareli. He will not be accepted by the people of Rae Bareli. The BJP will win all 80 seats in the state with a substantial majority," he said.

BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa stated that Rahul Gandhi would also lose in Wayanad.

"Rahul Gandhi is losing in Wayanad, which is why he is going to contest from Rae Bareli. Previously, he accepted defeat in Amethi, and now he is avoiding Wayanad," said Sirsa.

Further, he added, "The situation is such that no one from the Congress wants to contest from Amethi, which was Congress' traditional seat...Rahul Gandhi will also have to leave Rae Bareli, and people will give him a befitting reply, he will be defeated in Rae Bareli too."

Rahul Gandhi was Amethi's Lok Sabha representative for 15 years, from 2004 to 2019. Sonia Gandhi, who was Rae Bareli's MP from 2004 to 2024, moved to the Rajya Sabha earlier this year. There was speculation that she had vacated the seat for Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

Kishori Lal Sharma is one of the closest loyalists of the Gandhi family. He was the representative of Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi in the constituencies.