Expressing surprise at the prolonged delay in announcing Congress party candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Union Minister Smriti Irani asserted on Thursday that the extended timeframe might be an indicator of the Congress facing defeat in the upcoming elections. Irani, who defeated Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the 2019 elections from the Amethi seat, questioned the delay in announcing a candidate for Amethi and suggested that this lack of confidence indicates that Amethi is no longer a stronghold for the Congress.
“Why are people who say that Amethi is the Gandhi family’s bastion taking so much time to announce a candidate? Their lack of confidence tells that Amethi is no longer the Congress’ stronghold,” she said. Responding to speculations about Rahul Gandhi contesting from two seats – Wayanad and Amethi, Irani stated, “If he is contesting on two seats, it means that he is announcing his defeat from Amethi even before the elections. If he has courage, he must contest from Amethi alone without seeking the help of Mayawati or Akhilesh Yadav. The truth will come out.”
Irani expressed surprise at the delay in Congress declaring its candidate from Amethi. “I don’t know who the Congress candidate would be (from Amethi), but this is a strange spectacle in the politics of Congress that for the first time, Congress is taking so long to declare their candidate from Amethi. This is the sign of Congress’ defeat,” she stated.
During a visit to her parliamentary constituency, Amethi, in February, which clashed with Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, Irani remarked that the empty streets that greeted Rahul Gandhi reflected the people of Amethi’s anger towards the Gandhi family. She noted, “The anger of the people of Amethi against the Gandhi family is visible. Today, when Rahul Gandhi arrived, he was welcomed by empty streets. The anger of those who were deprived of development in Amethi has today transformed into empty streets for the visit of the Gandhi family.”
Amethi was once considered a stronghold for the Congress in Uttar Pradesh, but in the 2019 elections, Rahul Gandhi faced defeat by around 55,000 votes at the hands of Smriti Irani. With the Congress still undecided on whether Rahul Gandhi will attempt to regain the stronghold, especially since Sonia Gandhi has left Rae Bareli for the Rajya Sabha, the delay in candidate announcements has become a subject of scrutiny. Irani believes this may be indicative of the Congress’s uncertainty and potential defeat in Amethi in the upcoming elections.
