Congress fields Ajay Rai against PM Narendra Modi from Varanasi

Ajay Rai. Pic/AFP

New Delhi: Putting rest to all speculations regarding Priyanka Gandhi Vadra contesting the general elections against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress on Thursday fielded Ajay Rai as its candidate from the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Prime Minister Modi won from Varanasi by a margin of 3.37 lakh votes. AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal and Rai were among the candidates from the seat. While Kejriwal came in the second place, Rai stood third in the vote tally.

Priyanka last week had said that she will contest the Lok Sabha election from Varanasi against Prime Minister Modi if the party president Rahul Gandhi asks her to do so.

This would be the second time Prime Minister Modi and Ajay Rai will battle from Varanasi seat. Varanasi goes to polls in the seventh and the final phase of the general election on May 19. The result will be announced on May 23.

In 2014, an FIR was filed against Congress nominee Ajay Rai on the directive of the Election Commission for allegedly violating the election code of conduct by wearing the party poll symbol on his kurta while going to cast vote.

Meanwhile, the Congress has also announced the name of Madhusudan Tiwari as its candidate from Gorakhpur Lok Sabha seat.

Edited by mid-day online desk with inputs from ANI

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates