Rahul Gandhi chose Raebareli over Amethi due to fear, claims SP MP

Samajwadi Party MP Shiv Pal Singh Patel claimed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was "so scared" he chose to contest from Raebareli instead of Amethi in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, alleging Gandhi was reluctant until SP chief Akhilesh Yadav persuaded him. Patel asserted Congress would have won no seats in Uttar Pradesh without its alliance with the SP, saying all SP votes went to Congress in allotted seats, enabling its six victories. He added SP's 37 seats far surpass Congress's tally, urging Congress to cooperate rather than make negative remarks. In the 2024 elections, SP won 37 seats in Uttar Pradesh while Congress won six, restricting BJP to 33. Patel dismissed Congress's caste-based appointments as ineffective, while Congress spokesperson Anshu Awasthi countered that Patel should know his limits as an INDIA bloc beneficiary.