Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Ajay Rai to be Congress candidate from Varanasi against PM Modi!

Ending all the speculations.

Congress today announced Ajay Rai as its candidate from Varanasi. Priyanka Gandhi will not be contesting from City of Temples. Ajay Rai, who contested last time against PM Modi is yet again the Congress candidate. Though Rai earlier said, he has been told that he & others party workers were prepared to help Priyanka Gandhi contest.

Congress has repeated its 2014 candidate Ajay Rai who managed to poll around 75,000 votes and finished third, behind Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and PM Modi. Ajay Rai and Arvind Kejriwal faced humiliating defeats from Varanasi at the hands of PM Narendra Modi in 2014.

The announcement, on a day PM Modi begins a mega roadshow in Varanasi as a prelude to filing his election papers tomorrow, effectively ends all speculation about a giant clash in the temple town.

Earlier Congress president Rahul Gandhi, fuelled speculation after he said last week, “I will leave you in suspense. Suspense is not always a bad thing,” when asked if he planned to field sister Priyanka against PM Modi.

“I have said this repeatedly that I will do what the party asks me to do,” Priyanka had quipped at the time.