NEW DELHI, Feb 19: The Union Minister Smriti Irani has challenged Rahul Gandhi whose “Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra” entered Uttar Pradesh today, to contest from his erstwhile constituency of Amethi.
“In 2019 he left Amethi, today Amethi has left him. If he is confident, then without going to Wayanad (Mr Gandhi’s Constituency), let him fight from Amethi,” Ms Irani said. “Amethi’s empty roads tell us what they feel about Rahul Gandhi,” said Ms Irani, who held a Jan Samwad in Amethi as part of a four-day visit to her parliamentary constituency.
Amethi used to be a Congress stronghold in the state, where Rahul Gandhi lost to the BJP leader by a margin of around 55,000 votes in the 2019 elections. At 80 seats, Uttar Pradesh sends most number of MPs to parliament. In the last general elections, the Congress secured just one seat – Raebareli by Sonia Gandhi. While Rahul Gandhi lost in Amethi, he won by a big margin in faraway Wayanad.
Cut to 2024, Sonia Gandhi will move to Rajya Sabha and has called on the people of Raebareli to “be with my family.” The question is which member of the family will stand from Raebareli. “Nobody imagined Gandhi family will leave their seat,” said Ms Irani, taking aim at the Gandhis.
“CEC (Congress Central Election Committee) will decide on who will contest from Amethi. Rahul Gandhi has been an MP from Amethi thrice. His father Rajiv Gandhi also used to contest from Amethi. It is a very important constituency for the Congress party…,” said Congress leader Jairam Ramesh.
(Manas Dasgupta)
