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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is leading by 2,22,219 votes in the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituency, surpassing his mother Sonia Gandhi’s victory margin from 2019.
As counting neared completion on Tuesday evening, India’s preeminent political dynasty appeared headed for a record-breaking win in what has been the Gandhi family’s citadel for decades. Rahul Gandhi has secured 6,78,905 votes against his nearest BJP rival Dinesh Singh 4,56,686 votes so far.
His current margin is over 50,000 votes more than when Sonia Gandhi won the seat in 2019 by a margin of 1,67,078 votes. It underlines the personal popularity Rahul Gandhi appears to have built in the Gandhi family’s traditional stronghold.
Gandhi Scion’s massive win comes on the back of an intensive door-to-door campaign across all seven assembly segments over the last two months. He has also aggressively raised local civic issues like lack of healthcare facilities and youth employment opportunities.
The massive victory margin will be seen as a resounding snub by voters to the BJP’s bid to dent Rahul Gandhi’s popularity through a campaign centring on his frequent foreign travels and perceived lack of development in Rae Bareli under the Gandhis’ watch.
Rahul Gandhi has already announced that he will now concentrate efforts on assembly polls in Rajasthan, MP and Chhattisgarh where the Congress is seeking to regain power.
All eyes are now on the broader battle for UP, where Rahul’s sister Priyanka Gandhi is leading the Congress charge against the BJP’s formidable election machinery. The sibling’s performance in their respective constituencies could shape the Congress’ revival narrative in the Indian subcontinent.