Amethi: Union Minister and BJP MP from Amethi, Smriti Irani on Monday launched a scathing attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and dared him to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from her constituency where she defeated him in the 2019 general elections. Irani made these remarks during a Jan Samwad in her Lok Sabha constituency – Amethi.
Irani is in Amethi as part of a four-day visit to her parliamentary constituency. Interestingly, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra also entered Amethi – the erstwhile bastion of the Congress party.
Amethi used to be a Congress stronghold in Uttar Pradesh, where Rahul Gandhi lost to Smriti Irani by a margin of around 55,000 votes in the 2019 elections. At 80 seats, Uttar Pradesh sends the 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.
The Congress is still undecided on whether Rahul Gandhi will attempt regaining the Congress stronghold especially since Sonia Gandhi has also left Rae Bareili for the Rajya Sabha. “CEC 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.
Ahead of Rahul Gandhi’s scheduled visit to Pratapgarh, Congress MP Imran Pratapgarhi said, “Amethi is the home of Rahul Gandhi. He has been a member of parliament from here. He is the son of Amethi. Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra is going to have a huge impact on Uttar Pradesh and the country…”
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday resumed the Yatra from Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh attacking the BJP for not doing enough for the backward classes. “Tell me how many Dalits, Adivasis, and backward people are there in high courts? You don’t have courage, you all are sleeping. There are 650 high court judges. You have 73% of the population…Tell me how many people do you have among the bureaucrats?…” said Rahul Gandhi at Pratapgarh.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi will address a public rally in Babuganj on Monday. “Today is the 37th day of Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi will address a public rally in Babuganj. We will stay in Amethi tonight and reach Raebareli tomorrow morning. We will stay in Lucknow tomorrow and in Kanpur the day after. Then, we will take 2 days’ rest on 22nd and 23rd February…” said Congress leader, Jairam Ramesh.
The Congress’s ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’, succeeded by the party’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, aims to cover 6,700 km through 15 states, with Lok Sabha polls around the corner.
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