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LUCKNOW: Union minister Smriti Irani and former Congress president Rahul Gandhi have opted for distinctive ways to convey their Diwali wishes to the people of Amethi, setting off speculation about the 2024 general elections.
Smriti, the current MP for Amethi who defeated Rahul in 2019, reportedly sent mobile phones, wall clocks, and saris to residents.
For his part, Rahul, who thrice represented Amethi in Parliament, distributed shirts and trousers along with sweets to hundreds of constituents of the region once-considered a Gandhi family bastion.
Confirming the distribution, Amethi’s BJP spokesperson Govind Chauhan said Smriti’s gifts were specifically given to socially disadvantaged, impoverished, and physically challenged people. “We ensured that the gifts reached the needy,” he said, emphasising that this act of generosity was not an isolated event but part of Smriti’s commitment to “selfless public service throughout the year”.
A viral video featuring BJP’s former Amethi president Daya Shankar Yadav shows him encouraging reciprocity by suggesting that people should express gratitude for the gifts by voting for Smriti, whom he referred to as their “didi” (sister) and “beti” (daughter).
Chauhan defended Yadav, saying: “He only meant to say that people should come even closer to Smriti, who works for the people of the constituency all year long.”
Pradeep Singhal, the Congress district chief in Amethi, disclosed that Rahul’s gifts were dispatched to approximately 5,000 households in the constituency. Singhal justified this gesture by stating that the people of Amethi are like Rahul’s “parivar”, and sending gifts to family members during festivals is a customary practice.
The Diwali gifts have reignited speculation about a potential electoral showdown in the high-profile Amethi constituency during the Lok Sabha elections next year. While Congress has maintained strategic silence on Rahul’s candidacy, sources suggest the party is making every effort to reclaim its erstwhile bastion.
Smriti, the current MP for Amethi who defeated Rahul in 2019, reportedly sent mobile phones, wall clocks, and saris to residents.
For his part, Rahul, who thrice represented Amethi in Parliament, distributed shirts and trousers along with sweets to hundreds of constituents of the region once-considered a Gandhi family bastion.
Confirming the distribution, Amethi’s BJP spokesperson Govind Chauhan said Smriti’s gifts were specifically given to socially disadvantaged, impoverished, and physically challenged people. “We ensured that the gifts reached the needy,” he said, emphasising that this act of generosity was not an isolated event but part of Smriti’s commitment to “selfless public service throughout the year”.
A viral video featuring BJP’s former Amethi president Daya Shankar Yadav shows him encouraging reciprocity by suggesting that people should express gratitude for the gifts by voting for Smriti, whom he referred to as their “didi” (sister) and “beti” (daughter).
Chauhan defended Yadav, saying: “He only meant to say that people should come even closer to Smriti, who works for the people of the constituency all year long.”
Pradeep Singhal, the Congress district chief in Amethi, disclosed that Rahul’s gifts were dispatched to approximately 5,000 households in the constituency. Singhal justified this gesture by stating that the people of Amethi are like Rahul’s “parivar”, and sending gifts to family members during festivals is a customary practice.
The Diwali gifts have reignited speculation about a potential electoral showdown in the high-profile Amethi constituency during the Lok Sabha elections next year. While Congress has maintained strategic silence on Rahul’s candidacy, sources suggest the party is making every effort to reclaim its erstwhile bastion.
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