Sonia Gandhi files nomination from Raebareli, reminds voters not to forget 2004 when Congress defeated Vajpayee

Rae Bareli: UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Thursday filed her nomination as the Congress candidate for the Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh’s Raebareli. Ahead of filing her nomination, she performed a puja in the company of her son Congress President Rahul Gandhi and daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Responding to mediapersons queries on her thoughts about the seeming invincibility of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Lok Sabha elections, she said, “Not at all. Do not forget 2004. Vajpayee Ji was invincible, but we won.” [caption id=“attachment_4384783” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. PTI[/caption] The Vajpayee-led BJP suffered defeat in the 2004 general elections after Congress formed the United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre with its allies. Sonia on Thursday arrived at district Collector’s office to file nomination from Raebareli, a bastion of the grand old party for decades. She had registered the victory in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections by a margin of over three lakh votes. Meanwhile, when Congress president Rahul Gandhi was asked the same question on Modi, he said: “There have been many people in Indian history who had the arrogance to believe that they are invincible and bigger than the people of India. Narendra Modi for the last five years has done nothing for the people of India. His invincibility will be in full view after election results.” Hitting out at Modi’s allegations of corruption against him, Rahul on Thursday said that he is ready to face any action against him but Modi too has to give answers to certain questions first. “I have done nothing wrong. He should say how did Anil Ambani, whom he considers his brother, get the contract of Rafale when he has never manufactured a single plane?  The Supreme Court has started investigations into the matter,” he told reporters here. “I am perfectly happy for Narendra Modi to take any action against me. He is in charge right now. But I would also like him to answer three or four questions. Why has Anil Ambani been given a contract worth Rs 30,000 crore? I am ready for an open debate with Modi on corruption wherever he wants,” Rahul said. Speaking further, he said: “The day Narendra Modi holds a debate with me on corruption, is the day he will not be able to look into the eyes of anybody in this country.” Voting for Raebareli parliamentary constituency will be held in the fifth phase on 6 May. Sonia is set to face Dinesh Pratap Singh, who recently joined the BJP after leaving the Congress.