As the Congress on Friday announced KL Sharma, and not one of the Gandhis, as its Amethi Lok Sabha candidate, Smriti Irani got a weapon to hit back. Taking a cue from Prime Minister Narendra Modi who taunted Rahul Gandhi, saying “daro mat, bhaago mat (don’t be afraid, don’t run away)”, Smriti in an exclusive interaction on the campaign trail in the Sangrampur area of Amethi told News18, “He (Rahul) has lied to the people of Wayanad. He did not tell them that he would also be contesting from a second seat. Anyone with a bit of brains will never miss Rahul Gandhi. I am sure Congress stooges today have much to be ashamed about. This is the second time he has run away. He fought out of Wayanad in 2019 not out of fun but out of compulsion. So I can understand the shame which Congress leaders and stooges will have today. After all, this sign that he was touted as undefeatable and that he had to vacate twice is telling. More so, today his hypocrisy and lack of transparency have become clear. The dual face of the Gandhi family is exposed.”
#Raebareli: @smritiirani says anyone with a sense of brain can never miss #RahulGandhi. This is not the first time he has run away from #Amethi. If he were a genuine politician, he should have told the people of #Wayanad that he intended to fight for two seats@_pallavighosh pic.twitter.com/AmLPS0msnh— News18 (@CNNnews18) May 3, 2024
Many in the Congress over the past few days had claimed that Rahul Gandhi would have won this time from Amethi. The workers kept waiting, very sure he would take on Smriti. But they had to return home disappointed. “They have left. They had the option to fight but did not. Don’t think that if he knew he would win, he would have run away,” said an insider.
The fight would certainly have been spicier if one of the Gandhis had taken on Smriti. The Congress has sought to play down the matter by saying it has shown the BJP leader her place. But she hit back: “The fact is he lost in 2019. In 2024, he has run away. But I have to go to every corner and do a lot of work.”
Smriti had lost in 2014 but decided to stay back and won in 2019. As she stands at the threshold of another victory, she says she has followed the path of PM Modi and home minister Amit Shah who have fought tough battles and won. “I am a humble karyakarta (worker) of the BJP and I have learnt to follow the PM and the home minister and I follow their way,” she said.
The battle lines are drawn with Rahul giving Amethi a miss. And Smriti despite the barbs, which she told News18 she is used to, underscores the tag of a “missing and runaway neta” given to Rahul Gandhi that could prick a hole in the branding of him as a tough fighter who takes on those in power.
Check Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 3 Schedule, Key Candidates And Constituencies At News18 Website.
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