Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party MP Smriti Irani criticized the Congress’s stance in Kerala, particularly targeting senior party figure Rahul Gandhi, who is running for election from the Wayanad constituency. Irani took aim at the Congress for facing competition from its ally, the Communist Party of India (CPI), in Kerala, where the CPI has put forward its prominent candidate against Rahul Gandhi.
Annie Raja, the general secretary of the Communist Party, was nominated to contest from the Wayanad constituency in Kerala against Rahul Gandhi. In response, the BJP nominated its Kerala chief, K Surendran, for the Wayanad seat, setting the stage for a three-way contest.
Irani, speaking at a rally in Karnataka, sarcastically remarked on the Congress’s predicament, stating, “The condition of the Opposition is such that they are contesting in Wayanad. Left parties suggest Rahul Gandhi contest from Uttar Pradesh, yet when they meet in Delhi for an INDIA Alliance gathering, they embrace Rahul Gandhi.”
She further commented, “Yesterday, I mentioned in Kerala, ‘Hugging in Delhi, begging in Kerala.’ The situation reflects the turmoil the Congress is facing: ‘Hugging in Delhi, begging in Kerala, thugging in Karnataka…'”
#WATCH | Bengaluru, Karnataka: During her interaction with businessmen, Union Minister Smriti Irani says, "The condition of the Opposition is that they are fighting in Wayanad. Left parties are saying that why does Rahul Gandhi not go to Uttar Pradesh and contest. But when the… pic.twitter.com/iy1tXVJJaf
— ANI (@ANI) April 6, 2024
Annie Raja filed her nomination for the Lok Sabha elections from Wayanad on Wednesday. While the CPI is part of the ruling Left Democratic Front in Kerala, it competes fiercely with the Congress in the state, despite being allies in the opposition INDIA bloc.
Meanwhile, uncertainty looms over the Amethi constituency in Uttar Pradesh. Smriti Irani’s criticism of Rahul Gandhi comes amidst the Congress’s delay in finalizing its candidate for the Amethi seat, historically a stronghold for the party.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Smriti Irani defeated Rahul Gandhi by a significant margin to claim victory in Amethi. While Rahul Gandhi has announced his candidacy from Wayanad, it remains unclear if he will challenge Irani in the upcoming election.
Businessman Robert Vadra, the husband of Priyanka Gandhi, hinted at a potential entry into politics earlier this week, suggesting he might represent the Congress from the Amethi constituency. Vadra stated that the people of Amethi desire a Gandhi family member to represent them in Parliament and expressed openness to fulfilling that expectation.