Rahul Gandhi, son of assassinated former Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, will contest in upcoming parliamentary elections, marking a new political generation from the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, a Congress party leader said Sunday.
Rahul Gandhi, a 34-year-old computer scientist who has spent most of his adult life abroad, will contest in the Amethi seat which is currently held by his mother Sonia Gandhi, who heads the main opposition Congress party.
Sonia Gandhi, 57, will shift her seat to Rae Bareilly, another traditional seat of India's most famous political family, senior Congress leader Ambica Soni told a news conference.
Opinion polls have placed the 118-year-old Congress party behind the ruling Hindu nationalists ahead of parliamentary elections due in five phases beginning April 20.
Congress leaders said no decision was yet taken on whether Rahul's sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who had been the de facto manager of the Amethi seat, would also contest the election.
"We will make an announcement (about Priyanka) at an appropriate time," Congress media secretary Tom Vadakkan told AFP.
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