'Daro Mat, Bhago Mat...': PM Modi's taunt as Rahul Gandhi picks Rae Bareli over Amethi

PM Modi at a rally in West Bengal

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday hit out at the Congress party for fielding its leader Rahul Gandhi from Rae Bareli seat instead of Amethi, which he lost to BJP leader Smriti Irani in 2019.

Speaking at a public rally in West Bengal about Sonia Gandhi, PM Modi said, "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'...," Modi added.

Rahul Gandhi will contest the Lok Sabha election from the Rae Bareli seat in Uttar Pradesh, the constituency held by his mother Sonia Gandhi for the last two decades. Meanwhile, Gandhi family's close aide Kishori Lal Sharma has been fielded from the Amethi Lok Sabha seat, Congress announced on Friday.

The grand old party announced its decision just hours ahead of the deadline for last day of filing of nomination in the two Uttar Pradesh constituencies.

Deliberations had been on in the party since Thursday on the names of the contenders for the two seats, which have been traditionally held by the members of the Gandhi-Nehru family.

It may be noted that Rahul Gandhi is also contesting this Lok Sabha election from the Wayanad seat, the polling for which concluded on April 26.

The BJP had on Thursday announced Dinesh Pratap Singh as its candidate from Rae Bareli. He had lost to Sonia Gandhi in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.