Day after Congress announced that Rahul Gandhi would be contesting from the Amethi Lok Sabha constituency for the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections, Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi took a dig at the grand old party and said that Congress has ‘used Amethi like a chewing gum’.
“They (Congress) have used that city’s (Amethi’s) people like chewing gum. They didn’t do anything for development, whereas PM Modi and UP CM Yogi’s leadership has changed the landscape of the city and have brought various positive changes,” the former Union minister told news agency PTI.
Rahul Gandhi will contest from the erstwhile Congress stronghold Amethi, directly competing against BJP leader and Union Minister Smriti Irani.
Rahul Gandhi had lost the Amethi seat to Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Union Minister Smriti Irani in the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections.
Amethi is one of Congress stronghold in Uttar Pradesh, which Rahul Gandhi had lost to Smriti Irani by a margin of around 55,000 votes in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
During the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, Rahul Gandhi had contested from Amethi and Wayanad Lok Sabha constituencies and subsequently became the MP from Wayanad after losing to Smriti Irani in Amethi.
The Amethi seat was fought by Sonia Gandhi for Congress. Mother Gandhi vacated the seat in 2004, paving way for son Gandhi to contest elections from the Amethi Lok Sabha constituency.
Congress leader Harish Rawat told news agency ANI on Saturday, “Amethi is Rahul Gandhi’s ‘natural seat’ but he will also fight from Wayanad because Wayanad supported him at the time of crisis”.
Besides Rahul Gandhi, Ajay Rai also said Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra can decide to contest 2024 from Varanasi or any other constituency.
“If Priyanka Gandhi has the desire to fight from Varanasi, every single worker will work wholeheartedly for her,” he said.
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Updated: 19 Aug 2023, 07:27 PM IST