New Delhi:

With the Congress yet to announce its candidate in Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi, sitting BJP MP Smriti Irani has taken a dig at Rahul Gandhi and his brother-in-law Robert Vadra, claiming they have won more seats in the constituency in five years than Mr. Work is ensured. Gandhi did it at 15.

Mr Vadra’s comments follow speculation that he may contest from the Congress stronghold Amethi seat, where Ms Irani had won in 2019. Voting will be held in Amethi on May 20 in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections.

“Jijaji ki nazar hai, saale sahib kya karenge. (Jijaji’s eyes are on the seat, what will he (Mr. Gandhi) do?) There was a time when people traveling in buses used to leave their handkerchiefs to mark their seats No one will sit on it, even Rahul Gandhi will come to mark his seat with a handkerchief because his brother-in-law is eyeing this seat,” he said at a meeting in Amethi.

Ms Irani said, “Has this ever happened? There are only 27 days left for the elections, but Congress has not announced its candidate. So much arrogance. What I could do in five years, Rahul Gandhi cannot do in 15 years.” Could.”

Before defeating Mr Gandhi in the 2019 elections, he had represented Amethi for three consecutive terms. The seat has been represented in the past by his parents Sonia Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi and uncle late Sanjay Gandhi and was once considered a Congress stronghold.

Mr Gandhi, who is contesting from Wayanad in Kerala, was recently asked whether he would be the Congress candidate in Amethi as well. He replied, “I will do whatever the party orders me.”

Earlier, Mr Vadra had sparked discussion by saying that the people of Amethi felt that if he contested the elections there, “they would have the option to rectify their mistake of choosing Smritiji”. “I am sure that if I contest the elections, they will ensure my victory by a huge margin,” he said.

Voting in Wayanad is on April 26 and the last date for filing nominations for Amethi Lok Sabha seat is May 3. This means that Mr Gandhi can announce his nomination after the voting in Wayanad.

Meanwhile, Ms Irani’s campaign is in full swing. He has alleged that Mr. Gandhi will come to Amethi after April 26 and will try to divide people in the name of caste.

“After voting in Wayanad on April 26, Rahul Gandhi will come here and tell everyone that Amethi is his family and will stoke the fire of casteism. Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party rejected the invitation for the consecration ceremony of Lord Shri Ram in Ayodhya, but He will be seen roaming around temples in Amethi, so there is a need to be careful and alert,” he said at a local meeting.

Top Congress leaders had skipped the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple this January and had accused the BJP of making the Ayodhya temple a political project.

Ms Irani alleged that Mr Gandhi never raised Amethi issues in Parliament and that the people of the constituency did not even get drinking water during his tenure as MP.