The Congress Thursday April 25,2019 announced the candidature of Ajay Rai from Varanasi constituency in Uttar Pradesh, putting to rest speculation that party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra would take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Rai, who was also the party’s candidate in 2014, will once again fight Narendra Modi, who is expected to file his nomination papers from the seat on Friday.

In 2014, Rai managed to poll just 75,000 votes, and finished third, behind Aam Aadmi Party convener Arvind Kejriwal