Addressing reporters in her Lok Sabha constituency, Amethi, Irani claimed that the Gandhis not contesting from the seat, means the Congress has “accepted defeat”.
Uttar Pradesh Lok Sabha Election 2024: Union Minister and sitting BJP MP Smriti Irani Friday asserted that the Congress‘ decision to field a “proxy” candidate from Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi seat, instead of any member of the Gandhi family, indicated that the grand-old party has accepted defeat even before the May 20 polls in the constituency.
Addressing reporters in her Lok Sabha constituency, Amethi, Irani claimed that the Gandhis not contesting from the seat, means the Congress has “accepted defeat”.
“Gandhi family not being present in the election fray in Amethi indicates that Congress party has accepted its defeat in Amethi even before the polling on the seat,” the BJP leader said, while also claiming that the Gandhis have fielded their “proxy” from the constituency.
“Had they felt there was any chance of victory on the seat, they would have contested from here and not fielded their proxy,” Irani asserted, referring to the Gandhi family.
The Union Minister’s remarks came after Congress loyalist K L Sharma filed his nomination for the Amethi seat Friday– the last day of filing nominations for the fifth phase of Lok Sabha Election 2024 on May 20.
‘Rejected by Amethi, won’t belong to Rae Bareli either’
Smriti Irani, who has had a storied political rivalry with Rahul Gandhi since the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, also took a dig at the Congress leader, claiming that the former Congress chief, who was not “accepted” by Amethi and “fled to Wayanad” will never belong to Rae Bareli.
“The one who was not accepted by Amethi and fled to Wayanad will never fully belong to Rae Bareli,” Irani said, referring to Rahul Gandhi filing nomination from Rae Bareli– considered a bastion of Gandhi family and prestige seat of the Congress.
“Also the question is: he, in Wayanad, said it is his family. Now what will he say in Rae Bareli today?” Irani asked.
The Union Minister also claimed that people in Amethi have seen development under the Narendra Modi government, they are forced to wonder why it did not happen in the last 50 years.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been a three-time MP from Amethi.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, his streak was broken by Irani, who defeated him by a margin of more than 55,000 votes and was hailed as a “giant killer.”
“They are asking why the Gandhi family did so much damage to the area,” she said.
“The PM had already predicted that after polling in Wayanad, Rahulji will look for a new seat and you are seeing it happen today,” Irani said.
Rahul Gandhi is a sitting MP from Wayanad in Kerala and has contested the seat again this election.
(With PTI inputs)
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