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Not Priyanka Gandhi, Ajay Rai Is Congress Candidate From Varanasi

Rai will contest against PM Narendra Modi.
STRDEL via Getty Images

Ending speculations that Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will fight the 2019 polls from Varanasi, Congress on Thursday announced the candidature of Ajay Rai from the Lok Sabha seat.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is contesting from Varanasi and will file his nomination papers tomorrow.

Priyanka Gandhi had said that she would abide by her party’s decision on contesting against Modi from Varanasi.

Last month, it was widely expected that Priyanka Gandhi may contest from Rae Bareli, though she had quipped “why not Varanasi”, triggering the speculation.

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Varanasi will vote in the last phase of Lok Sabha elections on 19 May.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi has been saying that his sister will take a call on the Varanasi question and chose to keep the “suspense alive”.

But she reiterated it would be the party chief’s decision.

The Congress fielded Rai against Modi in 2014 as well. He finished third in the contest, after Modi and Aam Aadmi Party’s Arvind Kejriwal.

(With PTI inputs)

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.