Rahul Gandhi vs Smriti Irani 3.0 In Amethi: Sources

New Delhi:

Union minister Smriti Irani, has bought a house in her constituency,  Amethi, signalling long-term plans for the constituency which has been a Congress bastion for the better part of 50 years. The “Griha Pravesh” ceremony was held last month, weeks ahead of news that Rahul Gandhi would be making an effort to win back the Uttar Pradesh seat, represented once by his uncle Sanjay Gandhi, father Rajiv Gandhi and later, his mother Sonia Gandhi.

Earlier today, sources said Mr Gandhi’s candidature for the seat has been greenlighted by the Congress top leadership, though a formal announcement is pending. Senior party leader Jairam Ramesh recently said the CEC (Congress Central Election Committee) “will decide on who contests from Amethi”.

Ms Irani had set her cap for Amethi — the family bastion of Congress’s Rahul Gandhi — ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. That time, she had camped out in the constituency for days but lost the election.

She, however, did not sever connections. Instead, she redoubled her efforts to please the people, coming and going there regularly, distributing gifts at festivals. Her party even declared Mr Gandhi “missing” from the constituency during one of his absences.

In 2019, her efforts paid off. Amethi sent her to the Lok Sabha, with 55,000 votes more than Rahul Gandhi, who now represents Kerala’s Wayanad in parliament’s lower house.

This time, Smriti Irani has tossed  a dare at Mr Gandhi, saying he should contest only from Amethi if he was so confident.

“If he is confident, then without going to Wayanad (Mr Gandhi’s Constituency), let him fight from Amethi,” Ms Irani had told NDTV. “In 2019 he left Amethi, today Amethi has left him… Amethi’s empty roads tell us what they feel about Rahul Gandhi,” she said at a public rally in the constituency last month.

The other Uttar Pradesh seat the Gandhi family has held onto for a long time – Raebareli – is also expects to see a fresh face. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, whose plunge into electoral politics has been eagerly awaited for the party for a long time, will be fielded from the seat, sources said.

Sonia Gandhi has been nurturing Raebareli since 2004, when Rahul Gandhi took over Amethi. Raebareli has been represented by her parents -in-law Feroze Gandhi and Indira Gandhi.