A political showdown was observed as the Bharat Jodo Yatra led by former Congress president Rahul Gandhi entered the former stronghold of Amethi. Smriti Irani, a Union Minister and Amethi-based BJP MP, conducted a Jan Samwad on Monday as part of her four-day visit to her parliamentary constituency. Rahul Gandhi lost to Smriti Irani in Amethi, a Congress stronghold in Uttar Pradesh, in the 2019 elections by a margin of about 55,000 votes. Given that Sonia Gandhi has also left Rae Bareili to join the Rajya Sabha, the Congress is still unsure about whether Rahul Gandhi will try to recapture the Congress stronghold.
“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…”
Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the Congress, began the Yatra again on Monday from Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh, criticizing the BJP for not doing enough for the underprivileged. Tell me the number of Adivasis, Dalits, and backward individuals in the higher courts. You are all sleeping and lack courage. Judges of the high courts number 650. 73% of the population is with you. Tell me the number of bureaucrats you have,” Rahul Gandhi remarked in Pratapgarh. Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, the president of the Congress, will speak at a public gathering 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.
