Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai revealed that the state unit had proposed Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as a contender against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Varanasi Lok Sabha polls. However, the party opted for her nationwide campaign instead. Rai’s statement follows Rahul Gandhi’s remark that Priyanka’s candidacy in Varanasi could have significantly challenged Modi’s victory margin.
Despite Rai’s defeat in Varanasi, the Congress-INDIA bloc allies plan to express gratitude to supporters through a ‘dhanyavad yatra’ and aim to collaborate for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. Rai emphasized that despite BJP’s confidence in Modi’s popularity, the opposition’s collective effort posed a notable challenge in Varanasi, indicating a potential missed opportunity for Priyanka Gandhi’s electoral debut.