Rahul Gandhi may contest from Amethi, answers Jairam Ramesh on Irani’s dare

A day after Union Minister and BJP MP from Amethi – Smriti Irani – dared Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to contest 2024 Lok Sabha Elections from the constituency, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on 20 February said people in the constituency seek Rahul should contest elections from Amethi.

Apart from this, the Rajya Sabha MP from Karnataka for Congress even mentioned that people in the Amethi are saying that they made a mistake in 2019 by electing Smriti Irani.

Speaking to news agency ANI, he said, “CEC, Rahul Gandhi will take this decision (to contest from Amethi) but people want Rahul Gandhi to return. People understand that they made a mistake in 2019 and they want Rahul Gandhi back…It is her (Smriti Irani) democratic right to challenge and we are not running away from any challenge. If Rahul Gandhi decides to contest elections from here (Amethi), he will contest the elections. People are saying that they made a mistake in 2019 and Rahul Bhaiya should contest elections from here (Amethi) and he will win.”

Earlier on Monday, Irani challenged Rahul Gandhi to contest from his erstwhile constituency of Amethi.

ALSO READ: Black flags shown during Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in UP’s Raebareli: WATCH

“In 2019 he left Amethi, today Amethi has left him. If he is confident, then without going to Wayanad (Mr Gandhi’s Constituency), let him fight from Amethi,” NDTV quoted Irani as saying.

“Amethi’s empty roads tell us what they feel about Rahul Gandhi,” she said while holding a Jan Samwad in Amethi as part of a four-day visit to her parliamentary constituency.

Earlier in 2019, Rahul Gandhi lost to BJP leader Smriti Irani by a margin of around 55,000 votes.

Meanwhile, black flags were reportedly shown during Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday. A video shared by news agency ANI showed two people at a terrace of a building waving black flags as the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra passed by amid sounds of sirens.

With agency inputs.

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Published: 20 Feb 2024, 08:12 PM IST