Thanks for Kerala, Karnataka invitations, but no decision yet on Rahul''s 2nd seat: Congress

Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, March 23

The Congress on Saturday said no decision has been taken on whether Congress president Rahul Gandhi will contest from a second seat apart from Amethi although requests for the same have come from Karnataka and Kerala Congress units.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said: "The party has not taken any decision in this matter."

Surjewala said a proposal has come from Kerala Congress for Rahul Gandhi to fight from Wayanad in Kerala.

"We are thankful to the Kerala Congress unit for showering such affection on Rahul Gandhi ji. He will consider the proposal in the same spirit of love and respect as it has been received. But Rahul Gandhi has repeatedly said that his karma bhoomi is Amethi. Such proposals have come from various state units from time and time and will be considered at an appropriate time," he said.

Asked about a Kerala Congress leader Mulapally Ramachandran claiming that Gandhi had agreed to fight from Wayanad, Surjewala said: "As I said, a decision has not yet been taken."

Earlier, the Karnataka Congress had urged Gandhi to consider fighting from the state.

The invitations have triggered speculation on whether Gandhi is edgy in Amethi where minister Smriti Irani will challenge him again on a BJP ticket.

She had lost the seat to Gandhi by a margin of a little over one lakh votes in 2014, a winning margin not too high for a member of the Congress' first family.

Digvijay from Bhopal? party will decide, says Cong

Surjewala also said that Congress Central Election Committee will decide on the proposal from Madhya Pradesh leaders to ask former state CM and party veteran Digvijay Singh to contest from Bhopal Lok Sabha  seat.