Union Minister Smriti Irani on Thursday launched a scathing attack on Congress President Rahul Gandhi for betraying the people of Amethi and assured them that she would not leave them in the lurch.Irani is on a two-day visit to Amethi, from where she is contesting against Gandhi again. The BJP leader had lost the 2014 election to Gandhi, who has been representing Amethi since 2004.Addressing a rally in the Salon Assembly constituency, Irani said: "For the past 55 years, they have been raising slogans of 'Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan' in Rae Bareli and Amethi, but the Congress never got local farmers water for irrigation or tried to connect them with science. "It was the BJP that opened a Krishi Vigyan Kendra in Amethi. I got fertiliser rakes delivered at the Gauriganj railway station, something that had never happened since Independence." Irani said the main issue in Amethi was development and the people will vote for the BJP this time.
"In 2014, the Congress had promised to work for the development of the constituency, but its missing MP cheated the people. But I promise to stand with you," she said.She said the political temperatures in Rae Bareli and Amethi rose in 2017, when the Congress lost eight of the 10 Assembly seats in the Gandhi family turf. Hitting out at the Congress President for contesting from Kerala's Wayanad besides Amethi, she said, "For 15 years, he enjoyed a position of power because of support from Amethi. But today your missing MP has gone to file his nomination from Wayanad. This is an insult to Amethi and the people will not tolerate this."Earlier speaking to mediapersons, the BJP leader said, "I would like to caution the people of Wayanad. They should come and see what Rahul Gandhi has done in Amethi. There has been no development in the constituency."Taking a dig at Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Irani said, "She campaigned for her party in 2017 and earlier, but could not ensure its victory. She can try again."