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Smriti Irani, the Union Minister and incumbent Amethi MP, has declared that her true opponent in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections is not the Congress candidate Kishori Lal Sharma, but rather Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the Congress general secretary.
Irani's statement stems from the fact that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has been actively campaigning for both Amethi and Rae Bareli, constituencies that have traditionally been held by members of the Gandhi family.
In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka's brother, won Amethi by a margin of over 1 lakh votes. However, in 2019, Irani defeated Rahul Gandhi in Amethi, while Rahul Gandhi also contested and won from Wayanad in Kerala.
In the ongoing Lok Sabha polls, Rahul Gandhi is contesting from Wayanad again, while the Congress has named him as its candidate from Rae Bareli as well. Sharma has been named as the Congress candidate against Irani in Amethi.
Both Amethi and Rae Bareli will poll in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections on May 20.
The BJP has given a ticket to Uttar Pradesh minister Dinesh Pratap Singh from Rae Bareli, who lost to Sonia Gandhi in 2019 but managed to reduce the victory margin significantly.
Irani's statement reflects the high stakes involved in the Amethi contest and the importance that both the Congress and the BJP attach to this constituency.
Source: ‘My opponent is Priyanka Vadra’: Smriti Irani on battle for Amethi Lok Sabha seat