May 03, 2024 12:17 PM IST
Addressing a rally in West Bengal, PM Modi dared the Wayanad MP to face the BJP in Amethi and not “run or be scared”.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday took a swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over the latter’s nomination from Uttar Pradesh’s Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituency, attributing his decision to the fear of a loss in Kerala’s Wayanad.
Addressing a rally in West Bengal, PM Modi dared the Wayanad MP to face the BJP in Amethi and not “run or be scared”.
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PM Modi referred to his old remark, saying Rahul Gandhi had been searching for a safe seat for himself after voting in Wayanad.
“I had already said that the Shehzada was going to lose in Wayanad. I had said that as soon as the polling was completed in Wayanad, he would start looking for another seat… He is so scared of Amethi that he is running towards Rae Bareli. They ask everyone ‘daro mat‘. Today, I also ask them, ‘daro mat, bhago mat’… (don’t be scared, don’t run),” he said.
PM Modi also took a swipe at Rahul Gandhi’s mother Sonia Gandhi for vacating the Rae Bareli seat and moving to the Rajya Sabha.
Also read: Who is Kishori Lal Sharma, Congress party’s candidate in Amethi?
“I had already said in the parliament that their (Congress) biggest leader will not dare to fight elections and she will run away. She ran away to Rajasthan and came to the Rajya Sabha,” he added.
After a long suspense, the Congress today announced that Rahul Gandhi will contest the Lok Sabha elections from Rae Bareli.
Rahul Gandhi’s loyalist, Kishori Lal Sharma will contest from Amethi.
Rahul Gandhi entered electoral politics in 2004 from Amethi, a family stronghold. He won the seat in 2004, 2009 and 2014. However, in 2019, Smriti Irani breached the once-impregnable fortress as she defeated Gandhi from the UP seat.
Rahul Gandhi’s father, late PM Rajiv Gandhi had been Amethi’s MP from 1981 until his death in 1991. Sonia Gandhi had also represented the constituency in the Lok Sabha, in 1999.
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