Smriti Irani vs Rahul Gandhi: Cong leader's yatra enters Amethi as BJP leader comes home

Smriti Irani vs Rahul Gandhi in Amethi: In 2019, Irani defeated Gandhi by about 55,000 votes.

Amid the buzz that they are once again set to contest the same seat in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, Union minister Smriti Irani and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will be in Amethi on February 19.

Their meeting face to face is not likely to happen. However, their presence in Amethi at the same time sparked a lot of interest since both the Congress and BJP have already kick-started their poll campaign.

The two leaders were last simultaneously present in Amethi in February 2022. Both the leaders were then campaigning for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. Before 2002, the two leaders had crossed each other's paths in Amethi during the 2019 Lok Sabha poll campaign.

Why is Gandhi in Amethi?

Gandhi will visit Amethi as part of his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra which began on January 14 from Manipur as part of the Congress outreach ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. The yatra will culminate on March 20 in Mumbai.  Gandhi is scheduled to host a road show and public gathering in Amethi.

Why is Irani in Amethi?

Irani will perform “griha pravesh” of the home she has built in the constituency. Her representative, Vijay Gupta, told PTI that the Union Minister would begin a four-day trip of her constituency starting February 19. Apart from her housewarming function, Irani will also interact with the local leaders and local BJP leaders.

Why are these visits important?

Gandhi made his parliamentary debut in 2004 and won the next two Lok Sabha elections from the same seat. However, he lost the seat to Irani in the 2019 general elections. In 2014, Gandhi defeated Irani by a margin of 1.07 lakh votes. In 2019, Irani defeated him by about 55,000 votes.

After losing to Gandhi in 2014, she frequently visited the constituency. Once the dates for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls were announced, Irani camped in Amethi for more than a month.   She always mentioned that Amethi is her “home” and she would build a house and live there. In 2021, she bought land there.  On the other hand, Rahul Gandhi was accused of not being a frequent visitor. He would also stay at the Mushiganj guest house. Earlier, Irani had said the “history is witness to the fact that no Amethi MP ever built his house and stayed here”.

According to a report by Indian Today, Gandhi visited Amethi 17 times since 2014 and stayed there for 35 days. Irani visited the constituency 21 times but spent 26 days there.  Irani’s building a home may be aimed at conveying a “sense of permanency” in Amethi in contrast to Gandhi’s occasional visits and then staying in a guesthouse.

“Definitely Amethi and Rae Bareli are not mere constituencies for us. They are home to our party leadership and surely someone from the (Gandhi) family will contest,” UP Congress chief Ajay Rai told Hindustan Times while stating that BJP scheduling Smriti’s programme on the same day in Amethi showcased “growing restlessness in the BJP camp”.

Importance of Amethi in 2024 LS polls

Amethi has always been a Congress bastion since its formation in 1967. The constituency has mostly voted either for the Nehru-Gandhi family or a loyalist. The Congress aims at reclaiming the bastion from the ruling BJP. Meanwhile, the BJP is going all out to disassociate the seat from the legacy of the Gandhi family by highlighting Gandhi's alleged failures and Irani's claimed successes.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi  eyes his third term as India gears up for its general elections in April-May to choose 543 members of the Lok Sabha.