Union Minister Smriti Irani and former Congress president Rahul Gandhi
Even as former Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra enters the erstwhile bastion of Amethi, a political face-off was seen.
Union Minister and BJP MP from Amethi, Smriti Irani, held a Jan Samwad in Amethi on February 19 as part of a four-day visit to her parliamentary constituency.
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.
The Congress is still undecided on whether Rahul Gandhi will make an attempt at 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 February 19 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 per cent 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 February 19.
“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.
(with inputs from ANI)
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