Narendra Modi takes swipe at Rahul Gandhi over Rae Bareli move: ‘Don’t run…’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday took a swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over the latter’s nomination from Uttar Pradesh’s Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituency, attributing his decision to the fear of losing Kerala’s Wayanad seat.

Addressing a rally in West Bengal, PM Modi dared the Wayanad MP to face the BJP in Amethi and not “run or be scared”.

PM Modi referred to his old remark that Rahul Gandhi had been searching for a safe seat after voting in Wayanad.

“I had already said that the Shehzada was going to lose in Wayanad. I had said that as soon as the polling was completed in Wayanad, he would start looking for another seat… He is so scared of Amethi that he is running towards Rae Bareli. They ask everyone ‘daro mat’. Today, I also ask them, ‘daro mat, bhago mat’… (don’t be scared, don’t run),” he said.

PM Narendra Modi also took a swipe at Rahul Gandhi’s mother Sonia Gandhi for vacating the Rae Bareli seat and moving to the Rajya Sabha.

“I had already said in the parliament that their (Congress) biggest leader will not dare to fight elections and she will run away. She ran away to Rajasthan and came to the Rajya Sabha,” he added.

After a long suspense, the Congress today announced that Rahul Gandhi will contest the Lok Sabha elections from Rae Bareli.

Rahul Gandhi’s loyalist, Kishori Lal Sharma will contest from Amethi.

Rahul Gandhi entered electoral politics in 2004 from Amethi, a family stronghold. He won the seat in 2004, 2009 and 2014. However, in 2019, Smriti Irani breached the once-impregnable fortress as she defeated Gandhi from the UP seat.

Rahul Gandhi’s father, late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi had been Amethi’s MP from 1981 until his death in 1991. Sonia Gandhi also represented the constituency in the Lok Sabha, in 1999.

Earlier, it was speculated that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra might contest the Lok Sabha polls from her mother’s seat.

Amethi and Rae Bareli will go to polls on May 20.