The Canadian Parvasi - Issue 95

The International News Weekly May 24, 2019 | Toronto
11
Smriti’s frequent
visits to Amethi
paid off, says BJP
With thanks from times of India
Union minister Smriti Irani who won Amethi by a margin
of over 45,000 votes, becoming the first from BJP to beat
a Congress president, described it as a victory of a dedicated
karyakarta over “those who look with condescension towards
society”. Amethi, a Congress stronghold since 1967,
was the launchpad for Rajiv Gandhi in 1981and Sonia in 1999;
earlier Sanjay Gandhi made his Lok Sabha debut from the
seat in 1980. This is the third time Amethi has elected a BJP
candidate though. Sanjay Sinh won as BJP candidate in 1998-
99 and Sanjay Gandhi lost to Janata Party’s Ravindra Pratap
Singh in 1977. Rahul is the second Gandhi to lose from Amethi.
Many in BJP on Thursday said it was Irani’s persistence
and repeated visits to ensure development work in Amethi
that swayed voters.
Analyst JP Shukla said, “Smriti made the best use of
Rahul’s absence in her ‘Lapata Saansad’ campaign. She also
took advantage of Rahul’s decision to contest from two seats
and called him ‘bhagoda saansad’.” In the build-up, Smriti
stayed in a rented house in Gauriganj. Between 2014 and
2019, she made visits to distribute saris, shoes, clothes and
textbooks in villages. Her big moment came in March 2019
when PM Narendra Modi came to Amethi to lay the foundation
of an AK-47 rifle factory. Disenchantment of young voters
with Gandhis is believed to have impacted the verdict.
“Elders still feel for Indira, Rajiv and Sonia, but the youth
doesn’t care for the so-called charisma of Rahul and Priyanka,”
said S K Barnwal, a local businessman. Congratulating
Smriti, Rahul said: “Main unse yahi kahunga ki woh pyaar
se Amethi ki dekhbhaal karein… ”