‘Saale sahab kya karenge…’: Smriti Irani slams Rahul Gandhi, Robert Vadra amid Amethi buzz

Union minister Smriti Irani took a dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi amid the buzz around the party's Amethi seat candidature.

BJP MP Smriti Irani took a dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and his brother-in-law Robert Vadra and claimed that she ensured more work in the Amethi constituency in five years than Gandhi did in 15. Over weeks leading up to the Lok Sabha elections, Robert Vadra has been hinting at being the Congress's candidate from the Amethi seat. However, the party has still not declared its face from the constituency.

Union minister and Amethi MP Smriti Irani. (File)

“Jijaji ki nazar hain, saale sahab kya karenge. (brother-in-law is eyeing the seat, what will he (Mr Gandhi) do?) There was a time when people travelling in buses would leave their handkerchief to mark their seat so that no one sits on it,” Smriti Irani said at a public gathering in Amethi, reported NDTV.

The Union minister further said, “Rahul Gandhi will also come to mark his seat with a handkerchief because his brother-in-law is eyeing this seat.”

Smriti Irani contested from the Amethi seat against Rahul Gandhi in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. While Amethi had been Congress's stronghold for 15 years, Irani defeated Gandhi from the seat. Amethi will vote in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections on May 20.

Smriti Irani said in Amethi, “Has this ever happened? Just 27 days left for election, but Congress has not announced its candidate. Such arrogance. What I could do in five years, Rahul Gandhi could not do in 15.”

Rahul Gandhi was INC's candidate from Amethi three times in a row. Before him, the seat was represented by his parents Sonia Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, and uncle Sanjay Gandhi.

The former Congress president has already declared his candidature from the Wayanad seat in Kerala. When asked on if he will contest the Amethi seat this election, Rahul Gandhi said earlier that he will abide by the orders of the party.

Meanwhile, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's husband Robert Vadra dropped multiple hints at being the candidate from the Amethi seat. He said that the people of Amethi want him to represent them, and that they will ensure his victory by a huge margin if he contests the polls.