Union Minister Smriti Irani on Monday took a dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi stating that if he “remains” in Wayanad, it would suffer the same fate as Amethi in Uttar Pradesh when he was the MP from there. Smriti Irani, during a program in Kerala, said that it was her good fortune that she sent Rahul from Amethi. Irani added, ” When Rahul was the MP of Amethi, 80 percent people had no electricity, no fire station, no medical college, no central university.”
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If he would be in Wayanad, the situation would be like Amethi
Addressing the state-level Women Labour Convention organised by the Kerala unit of Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) in Thiruvananthapuram. Union Minister Smriti Irani said that she had the “good fortune” of being the one who “sent away” Mr Gandhi from Amethi. When he was the MP of Amethi, 80% people did not have electricity. If he remains in Wayanad, it too shall suffer the same fate as Amethi. So, you (people) have to ensure he does not remain here.”
Rahul Gandhi was defeated from Amethi
Smriti Irani defeated Rahul Gandhi from the Congress bastion Amethi by a margin of around 55,000 votes in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Amethi has a long association with the Gandhi family as both Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi represented the seat before Rahul Gandhi became the MP from Amethi in 2004 and retained the seat in 2009 and 2014.
No announcement for bypolls in Wayanad so far
Rahul Gandhi contested from both Amethi and Wayanad seats in 2019. Rahul Gandhi was elected the MP of Wayanad after losing to Smriti Irani in Amethi. But in March, Rahul Gandhi was disqualified from the Lok Sabha after being convicted in the Modi surname case. The Election Commission has not yet announced the by-election in Wayanad. If the sentence is stayed, then Rahul Gandhi will be able to get his Lok Sabha seat back, but the court has not given him any relief in the matter.
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