Conceded Defeat Before Polls: Smriti Irani's First Reaction After Rahul Ditches Amethi

New Delhi: In her first reaction following the Gandhis' decision to withdraw from Amethi, Union Minister Smriti Irani while speaking to Republic World said, “We already said that he (Rahul Gandhi) will find a new seat after the election in Wayanad. People of Wayanad must be feeling betrayed.”She stressed that the absence of any Gandhi family member contesting from the constituency itself signifies the Congress party's acknowledgement of its impending defeat in their bastion even before the elections. “No member of the Gandhi family contesting from Amethi in itself indicates that Congress has accepted its defeat from Amethi even before elections”, Irani stated. 

'Rahul Gandhi Betrayed Wayanad' -- Smriti Irani to Republic | Highlights From Her Interaction With Republic

• Congress' flawed strategy led to their loss in Amethi, a stronghold for 50 years.
• Acceptance of defeat without contesting from Amethi questions Rahul Gandhi's leadership.
• KL Sharma becomes a scapegoat for Cong's failure, lacking political existence.
• Rae Bareli, another traditional Cong bastion, also slipping away as seen in cooperative elections.

Upping the ante further, she asked, "If development was possible in Amethi in the last five years under BJP MP, then why did Congress harm Amethi over the last many decades?" "Today is the victory of the people of Amethi...In the last three years, Congress' top leadership was not present there for the public. Jinhe Amethi ne aswikaar kar diya, Amethi chhor ke Wayanad chalegaye, woh Raebareli ke purnatah kabhi nahi ho paayenge (They left Amethi and went to Wayanad, they will never be fully accepted in Raebareli)," Irani predicted further. 

Earlier while talking to Republic Media Network's Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami, Irani had predicted that the Congress will likely lose their security deposit if they fight in Amethi. Asserting that the Congress is currently “suffering from the disease called communism”, Irani had said, “This party has not only looted Hindus but also tried to fool Muslims of our country”.  

'Daro Mat, Bhaago Mat’

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sharpened his attack on Rahul by using RaGa's own phrase, "Daro Mat" (don't be afraid), to ridicule him. For the unversed, Gandhi had frequently used the phrase 'Daro Mat' to accuse the BJP government of using investigative agencies to intimidate opposition leaders.  

“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... 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 Raebareli. They ask everyone 'Daro Mat'. Today, I also ask them, 'Daro Mat, Bhago Mat'...”, PM Modi said while addressing a rally in Bardhaman-Durgapur, West Bengal. 

Gandhis Abandon Amethi

Amethi has indeed been deeply associated with the Gandhi family, serving as a stronghold for them in Indian politics for decades. This upcoming election marks a significant shift as it will be the first time in 25 years that a member of the Gandhi family won't be contesting from the Lok Sabha seat there. The Congress stronghold faced a notable defeat in the 2019 general elections when BJP's Smriti Irani secured victory over Rahul Gandhi by a considerable margin.

This time Rahul Gandhi has opted to contest from the safe seat of Rae Bareli, while Kishori Lal Sharma, a trusted aide of the Gandhi family, is set to run for the Amethi Lok Sabha seat. Sharma has been a pivotal figure in managing these prestigious constituencies on behalf of the Gandhis.

It's worth noting that the last instance of a non-Gandhi candidate contesting from Amethi was in 1998 when Satish Sharma, a close associate of Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, ran in the polls but was defeated by the BJP's Sanjaya Sinh. However, Sonia Gandhi reclaimed the seat in 1999 with a significant victory margin.

Following this, Sonia shifted her focus to the neighbouring Rae Bareli constituency in 2004, paving the way for her son Rahul Gandhi to contest from Amethi, where he secured victory for three consecutive terms until his defeat to Smriti Irani in 2019, making headlines as a 'giant killer'. Amethi comprises five assembly segments. The constituencies of Amethi and Rae Bareli are scheduled to go to polls on May  20.