Even as the Congress is yet to announce its candidate for Amethi constituency, posters featuring Robert Vadra, husband of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, appeared outside the party's office in the Gauriganj area of Amethi on Wednesday.
The posters read, "Amethi ki janta kare pukar, Robert Vadra ab ki baar, (the people of Amethi want Robert Vadra this time).
The sighting of Robert Vadra's posters comes shortly a day after Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party's candidate for Amethi, Smriti Irani took a jibe at Rahul Gandhi and his brother-in-law suggesting that Vadra has an eye on the constituency.
"Jijaji ki nazar hai, saale sahab kya karenge?" ("The brother-in-law has an eye, what will the brother do?")," Irani had said.
"There is one thing to worry about, whether Rahul Gandhi knows something or not, his brother-in-law knows Jagdishpur. People of Jagdishpur need to beware now. If his brother-in-law knows Jagdishpur, every village, every house, every person now needs to hide their property papers," she said.
Smriti Irani defeated Rahul Gandhi in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Amethi.
The Congress has not yet officially declared its candidate, but the appearance of posters featuring Robert Vadra has sparked considerable speculation.
Amethi votes on May 20 in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha polls, and the last day of filing nomination is May 3.
While the BJP has announced sitting MP and Union Minister Smriti Irani as its candidate, the Congress is yet to name its pick.
Earlier, Robert Vadra made a pitch for his own candidature claiming that the people of Amethi expect him to represent their constituency if he thinks of becoming a member of Parliament.
"They want a member of the Gandhi family to return, they will make him the person's victory with a huge margin, they also expect that if I take my first step in politics, and think of becoming an MP, then I should represent Amethi," Vadra had said.
Stating that while he has attempted to stay away from politics he has not ruled out entering the electoral fray if the party feels he can bring about a change.
"I have stayed away from politics, but different political parties wanted to pull me into politics and used tactics to trouble me for being connected to the Gandhi family. I have always been treated as a political tool and a soft target or hard target whenever there is an election," he added.
Vadra said that the decision on Amethi and Rae Bareli will be taken by the Congress leadership.
"I'm not saying that I will contest from Amethi or Priyanka will contest from Rae Bareli. The decision will be taken by the Congress party," he said.Vadra said he had joined hands with Priyanka Gandhi for the Congress campaign in Amethi in the 1999 Lok Sabha polls.
