Axis My India's MD and top pollster Pradeep Gupta believes that the Congress made a 'triple back-foot' in its traditional seats - Amethi and Rae Bareli - in Uttar Pradesh. Explaining the grand old party's 'triple back-foot', he said Sonia Gandhi first withdrew from Rae Bareli and went to Rajya Sabha, then Rahul Gandhi withdrew from Amethi, and then Priyanka Gandhi did not contest Lok Sabha elections from either of these two seats.
The pollster, who has correctly predicted several assembly and general elections in the past, said the people in Uttar Pradesh believe that Priyanka Gandhi can make a difference. "Priyanka Gandhi should have contested from either Amethi or Rae Bareli. But she withdrew from the contest," he said while speaking to Aaj Tak.
When asked whether it was a wrong message from Congress, Gupta said: "Definitely it was a wrong messaging. The correct messaging is when Mamata Banerjee goes to Suvendu Adhikari's stronghold (Nandigram in Purba Medinipur)... even though she loses there, she wins the state with a two-thirds majority...when you go to akhada, you play at the front foot if you want to win."
Ahead of the nomination, there was buzz that Rahul Gandhi may contest from Amethi and Priyanka Gandhi from Rae Bareli. However, in a surprise announcement, the grand old party fielded Rahul Gandhi from Rae Bareli and Gandhi family loyalist KL Sharma from Amethi. Priyanka said the party did not field her because if she had contested, her movement would have been restricted to only Rae Bareli and Amethi.
Sonia Gandhi held the Rae Bareli seat from 2004 till 2024, but her vote share had declined - she secured 72 per cent in 2009 to nearly 56 per cent in 2019.
Rae Bareli and Amethi went to polls in the fifth phase on May 20.
Political strategist Prashant Kishor recently said that he did not see any "strategic sense" in Rahul Gandhi contesting from Rae Bareli. He has predicted a return of the NDA for the third term. In an interview with India Today's News Director Rahul Kanwal, Prashant Kishor said the BJP won't go below 270, and most likely win 300-plus seats. He also said the saffron party may gain 20-25 more seats from East and South.