New Delhi, May 4 (IANS) Former Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam, reacted to Rahul Gandhi’s Raebareli move on expected lines and said that the Congress leader developed cold feet and hence quit the Amethi Lok Sabha seat.

He also added that this move would prove ‘suicidal’ for the former Congress president as this would send a wrong message to party workers as well as the electorate.

“Rahul Gandhi used to tell others don’t fret, don’t be afraid, today he himself has panicked and picked Raebareli over Amethi, over the fear of defeat,” Krishnam said, speaking to IANS.

The Kalki Dham Peethadhishwar further said public perception means a lot in politics. Congress workers were hopeful of Rahul throwing his candidature in Amethi, even at the last minute but that didn’t happen.

“Never in the history of Congress, the Gandhis gave up their family bastions. From Sanjay Gandhi to Indira Gandhi, all lost elections but they didn’t leave their seat. This is for the first time that Rahul Gandhi has abandoned the Amethi constituency,” he said.

He further stated that this gives the impression that Rahul Gandhi has got frightened and run away from Amethi.

Acharya said that when public perception changes, everything changes.

“I think Rahul’s decision will prove suicidal. At every public meeting and forum, he asks and calls upon party workers not to get intimidated in the face of adversity but himself opted out of the electoral race in Amethi,” he said.

This will send a message that the top Congress leader who should have taken the challenge head-on got intimated by BJP candidate Smriti Irani and left a crucial family pocket borough.

He further said that if Rahul chose to give up Amethi, he should have picked up a fight from Varanasi, the biggest Lok Sabha constituency and given a direct challenge to PM Modi.

When questioned whether this was part of the strategy, as claimed by the party, he said that this was not a strategy but a conspiracy to ‘drown’ the Gandhi siblings.

“A concerted conspiracy is playing out inside the Congress party to stop Priyanka Gandhi from beginning her stint in Parliament,” he added.

Notably, Congress has fielded Kishori Lal Sharma from Amethi seat against Union Minister and BJP veteran Smriti Irani.