Concerned about losing in Amethi, Congress mulling three seats for Rahul Gandhi to contest 2019 elections

In a massive political scoop, sources have told Republic TV that Rahul Gandhi - who has been contesting past three Lok Sabha elections from Amethi, a stronghold for Congress party since deces - is unsure about winning his constituency this time around, and hence, may well fight upcoming polls from two different seats.

Amethi is one of two constituencies in Uttar Presh along with Rae Bareli that are historic bastions of Congress party and Gandhis. Rahul Gandhi has been contesting in that seat since 2004, and has been coming out victorious on each occasion.

However, this time around, party seems unsure about its president's success, and hence, has come up with three different parliamentary constituencies, out of which from two, he could fight much-awaited 2019 elections.

Apart from Amethi, Rahul Gandhi may also contest polls from eir of Chhindwara - fortress of newly-installed Mhya Presh CM Kamal Nath - or Nanded in Maharashtra - anor seat which is presently held by Congress.

Sources have also mentioned that party is considering options of Punjab and Chandigarh from where Rahul Gandhi could contest. However, final call from which seat Congress president will contest is yet to be taken, apart from Amethi.

In 2004 and 2009, Congress president came out victorious with a huge margin from Amethi, finishing with more than double votes of runners-up. Though, in 2014, he received stiff competition from BJP's Smriti Irani, now Textiles Minister. Rahul Gandhi won just over 4 lakh votes, and got 46.71 % vote share in 2014. Smriti Irani came a close second, winning over 3 lakh seats with a vote share of 34.38% - a sizeable dent in Gandhis' fortress, as can be evidenced from fact that apart from in Amethi and Rae Bareli, Congress was wiped out in India's most populous state. 

RE: Rahul Gandhi To Undertake 2-day Visit To Amethi

Smriti Irani has also been a regular visitor to Amethi in intervening period, even as Rahul Gandhi has been accused of turning a blind eye towards his own constituency. This was most recently witnessed in Parliament when in response to Congress' allegations regarding Modi government purportedly doing an injustice to state-owned aerospace major HAL, Raksha Mantri accused Congress president of shedding crocodile tears and asked him if he h bored to do anything about HAL centre at Amethi. Smriti Irani was at Amethi as recently as first week of January on a day that Rahul Gandhi cancelled his own visit, though she hasn't yet confirmed that she will be contesting upcoming elections from re. She did, however, guarantee:

"In 2019 people will see Rahul Gandhi losing polls at hands of BJP. A person who can't come to his constituency imagine what will happen to him during polls. Mark my words, Rahul Gandhi will lose in 2019," she said.