The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for ditching the Amethi seat to contest the Lok Sabha elections against Smriti Irani.
On Gandhi’s candidature from Raebareli, BJP national spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill said, “Rahul Gandhi has forgotten his own slogan-‘Daro Mat‘ and ran away from Amethi. Rahul Gandhi running from Amethi has proved to the entire nation that his slogan ‘Daro Mat’ is loaded with double standards, cowardice and hypocrisy.”
“Rahul Gandhi will be remembered as that General who left the battlefield, left his soldiers, and escaped from the very back door rather than leading from the front…Rahul Gandhi’s escape from Amethi, Priyanka Gandhi’s Vadra’s decision not to contest the election shows that the entire Congress campaign is shivering, collapsing and shaking, and is all set to finish off at a very fast pace,” he added.
Furthermore, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla also called out Gandhi for rejecting the Amethi seat. He said, “‘Daro mat kahate kahate Rahul Gandhi, Amethi se lado mat’. This has become the new slogan of the Congress party. Today, with this announcement, Congress has confirmed that not a single member of the First family can contest in what they used to call the pocket boroughs of Amethi.”
“In the last 50 years, Rahul Gandhi has not done much as in the last 5 years Smriti Irani under the leadership of PM Modi and CM Yogi has delivered… First Amethi rejected them, and they went to Wayanad, now Wayanad rejected them and hence they came to Raebareli,” Poonawalla added.
Rahul Gandhi picks Rae Bareli
Congress’ Rahul Gandhi will contest the Lok Sabha elections from the Rae Bareli seat in Uttar Pradesh, the constituency held by his mother Sonia Gandhi for the last two decades. Kishori Lal Sharma, a close aide of the Gandhi family, has been fielded from the Amethi Lok Sabha seat, the party said in a statement on Friday.
Sharma was the key person who looked after the two prestigious constituencies in the absence of the Gandhis.
In her message, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra described Sharma as a dedicated worker who has always served the people of Amethi and Rae Bareli passionately.
Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, its current chief Mallikarjun Kharge, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will be in Rae Bareli during the nomination filing, the party said as a large number of Congress workers and leaders gathered in Rae Bareli to put up a grand show of strength.
Rahul and Sharma will file their nomination papers on Friday, the last date for the filing of nominations for the seats.
The two seats will go to polls on May 20 in the fifth of the seven-phase general election.
Ending days of suspense, the party announced the candidates from the two seats early Friday.
Rahul Gandhi will be contesting from the seat which has been held by his mother Sonia Gandhi, his grandmother Indira Gandhi and his grandfather Feroze Gandhi.
The constituency has also been represented by family members and friends of the Gandhi-Nehru family.
Priyanka’s reaction
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in a message said, “Kishori Lal Sharma ji has been associated with our family for years. He has always been dedicated towards serving the people of Amethi and Rae Bareli. His passion for public service is an example in itself.”
“Today it is a matter of joy that Congress party has made him the party candidate from Amethi. Kishori Lal ji’s loyalty and dedication towards duty will definitely bring him in success in this election. Many best wishes,” she said in a post in Hindi on X.
Deliberations had been on in the party since Thursday on the names of the contenders for the two seats, which have been traditionally held by the members of the Gandhi-Nehru family.
The BJP had on Thursday announced Dinesh Pratap Singh as its candidate from Rae Bareli. He had lost to Sonia Gandhi in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
Posters and banners of Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav were also brought late last evening to the Congress office in Gauriganj.
BJP leader Smriti Irani has already filed her nomination papers from Amethi.
The Uttar Pradesh leadership of the Congress had earlier called upon the Gandhi family to contest both the seats.
(With inputs from agencies)
