Union Minister Smriti Irani asserted on Thursday that despite the Gandhi family’s retreat from a direct confrontation in the Amethi Lok Sabha constituency, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is actively steering the party's campaign behind the scenes.
Expressing her views to the news portal 'Know The Nation,' Smriti Irani remarked, “I am of the opinion that Priyanka Gandhi is clandestinely battling in Amethi... She is orchestrating her party’s strategies from the shadows.”
She didn’t mince her words in cautioning the Gandhi siblings, reminding them of her victory over Rahul Gandhi in 2019 and forewarning that Priyanka Gandhi would meet a similar fate.
Irani emphasized that the ongoing Lok Sabha election signifies a battle for Congress' stature, highlighting how the Gandhi family, having relinquished its long-held fortress of Amethi, now faces the daunting task of safeguarding its final bastion – Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh.
The BJP candidate from Amethi attributed the region’s backwardness and lack of basic amenities to the Gandhi family's neglect.
“In my tenure as the MP from Amethi, we constructed toilets for four lakh families, facilitated power connections for 1.5 lakh families, and provided tap water connections to 3.5 lakh families under the Pradhan Mantri Jal Jeevan Mission. Additionally, 1.14 lakh houses were constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana,” Irani disclosed, questioning why the Gandhis left the constituency and its populace in perpetual neglect.
In a witty remark, she quipped, “I always thought I was the master of dialogue,” taking a dig at Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi’s assertions regarding developmental endeavors in Amethi and Raebareli.
Responding to inquiries about her victory in Amethi and winning the affection of its residents, Irani remarked that the people felt betrayed by the Gandhis, and it was only after their defeat in 2019 that the residents realized that sincerity prevails over deceit in matters of the heart.
