Amethi (Uttar Pradesh), Raebareli (UP), Feb 20 (ANI): As 2024 Lok Sabha elections near, political slugfest has intensified in Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi and Raebareli. Gloves are off as Bharatiya Janata Party is eyeing Raebareli constituency, considered a bastion of Congress. With Sonia Gandhi’s Rajya Sabha nomination, the grand old party has not announced candidate for Raebareli yet.
Since 1951, Congress has lost Raebareli only thrice. In Amethi, Union Minister Smriti Irani has sounded the poll bugle as she camps in the constituency to retain the seat. The constituency, which was wrested by Irani in 2019 from Rahul Gandhi, has also turned into a political war zone. BJP and Congress have locked horns to gain edge in the constituency as Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Nyay Jodo Yatra reached Amethi on February 19.
From sloganeering to scathing jibes and face-off between Congress and BJP workers, the atmosphere of Amethi gives a sense of bitter political rivalry. Congress communication-in-charge Jairam Ramesh has claimed that people of Amethi want Rahul Gandhi to return as their Member of Parliament. “CEC, Rahul Gandhi will take this decision (to contest from Amethi) but people want Rahul Gandhi to return.
People understand that they made a mistake in 2019 and they want Rahul Gandhi back…It is her (Smriti Irani) democratic right to challenge and we are not running away from any challenge,” said Jairam Ramesh while talking to ANI. Reacting sharply to Jairam Ramesh’s comments, Smriti Irani has said that she ‘accepts the challenge’ as a humble worker of BJP. “Please contest from Amethi without the support of Akhilesh Yadav, Mayawati and by not going to Wayanad,” said Irani. At present, WCD Minister Smriti Irani is holding Jan Samvad Yatra in Amethi.
