Agencies/New Delhi
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has nominated former television actress and model Smriti Irani to run against Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi in Amethi, Uttar Pradesh.
The BJP also announced that it would field Supreme Court lawyer Ajay Aggarwal from Rae Bareli, Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s constituency.
Immediately after her nomination, Irani, 38, a vice president of the main opposition party, said she would put up the best fight against Gandhi and was confident of winning the Lok Sabha election in Amethi.
Gandhi is the incumbent in Amethi, which has historically been held by members of the Nehru-Gandhi political dynasty.
Speaking to Times Now, she said irrespective of Amethi being a Gandhi bastion for years, “people have not received the benefits of development in the constituency, which is a national shame.”
Irani said now the people of Amethi are wondering about the chances of change and development as BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi will come to power and the Congress will sit in the opposition.
Reacting to the comments of the Aam Aadmi Party’s candidate from the constituency Kumar Vishwas, Irani said it will be a fight only between the Congress and the BJP.
“Vishwas has a history of being disrespectful towards women. I do not expect an iota of respect from him,” she said.
Vishwas earlier said the people of Amethi have decided and it did not matter whether a Pakistani, or an Italian or an Irani contest the election.
“I welcome her to the competition in Amethi but her candidature won’t change anything,” Vishwas said.
He said as far as he was concerned, “she’s just another candidate.”
The AAP candidate said he has had a head start in Amethi.
“I have been going to 30-40 villages every day. If she can come here in 45 degrees heat and talk to people, if she can stay here like I have been staying and discuss the issues of the people, I welcome her candidature.
“But the fact is that Amethi has already decided what it has to do. There is an Aam Aadmi Party wave...”
Vishwas reiterated the AAP charge that the BJP and Congress “give each other a walkover so that ... their leaders win” in elections.
“Why did they not field a strong candidate in Rae Bareli as well? This is the proof.”
Vishwas said if the BJP really wanted to put up a strong candidate in Amethi, they should have gone for party president Rajnath Singh or its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi or senior leader Arun Jaitley.
“I had even challenged him (Modi) that if you are so disappointed with the prince (Rahul Gandhi), then why don’t you fight the election from Amethi yourself or pit one of your party stalwarts?
“The BJP has brought in an ex-actress from Mumbai. They are making a mockery of the people and playing with their emotions. What does she (Irani) know about Amethi?”
He went on: “Rahul was already an actor, and we have another actor who has come to contest.”
In Lucknow, the Samajwadi Party said it would not field candidates against Sonia and Rahul Gandhi.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said it was the final decision of the party.
Sources said the announcement followed a Congress decision not to put up candidates against party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav in Mainpuri and Akhilesh Yadav’s wife Dimple in Kannauj.
Meanwhile, BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi yesterday stepped up his offensive against the Congress, and the ruling party faced “certain defeat.”
He also urged the Election Commission to probe the “delay” in clearance for his helicopters to take off.
Addressing election rallies in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, Modi attacked the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government over unending farmer suicides in the country.
After landing in Bareilly for his first election rally of the day, Modi said he was at Delhi airport since 9.30am but did not get permission to take off.
“I try my best to ensure that there is no delay due to me. Today, I am feeling sad. You had to wait for so long in heat. You are doing this tapasaya (sacrifice) in this scorching heat. I assure you that I will not let this go in vain,” he said.
In a veiled dig at Sonia Gandhi, who is an MP from Rae Bareli, Modi said: “Rae Bareli has elected such strong leaders but see development there.”
Seeking to woo Muslims, the Gujarat chief minister said most people working in kite industry in his state belonged to the community.
