Don't run to Wayanad, contest from Amethi alone: Smriti Irani dares Rahul Gandhi

Smriti Irani has dared Rahul Gandhi to give up the Wayanad constituency in Kerala and contest from the solo seat in Uttar Pradesh's Amethi in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

“If he is so confident, let him not run to Wayanad and contest in a solo Congress seat (from Amethi),” Union Minister Irani said in an interview given to a television channel.

Rahul had lost the Amethi seat to Irani, by a margin of over 50,000 votes, in the 2019 General Elections. He, however, reached the Parliament by winning from Wayanad with a majority over more than 4.3 lakh.

Rahul had represented Amethi for three successive terms since 2004 before being defeated by BJP's Irani. The Congress has yet to announce whether Rahul will once again contest from both Amethi and Wayanad.

Irani's remarks come at a time she is on a four-day visit to Amethi and could cross paths with Rahul, whose Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra was set to enter the district. Since their election campaign in 2019, it is understood that the two leaders were in Amethi at the same time only once before, which was in the run-up to the assembly polls in 2022.

Meanwhile, according to Congress leaders, Rahul and Irani are unlikely to come face to face in the coming days. Rahul is scheduled to hold a road show and a public meeting in Amethi town.

Angry Ram bhakts, unhappy voters
Minister Irani has claimed that the people of Amethi were upset with Rahul. She has claimed that Rahul talked ill about the people of Amethi in Wayanad.

"The people here have not forgotten what he said about north Indians, especially the people of Amethi, in Wayanad. He said the thinking of the people of Amethi is not right and because of that the people here are furious," Irani told media persons.

She has also said that the Gandhi family turning down invite for the Pran Pratishta ceremony in Ayodhya's Ram Temple has upset the faithful. "...that is why people did not turn up to welcome him," Irani said.