"Don't Give Him Too Much Importance": Smriti Irani's Swipe At Rahul Gandhi

Ms Irani said she was proud that an ordinary BJP worker had "sent the Gandhi family packing" from Amethi

Dripping confidence after the Congress decided not to field Rahul Gandhi against her in Amethi, Union Minister Smriti Irani has said this is a sign of the Congress conceding the 79th out of Uttar Pradesh's 80 Lok Sabha seats to the BJP and that her party managing a clean sweep in the state is a possibility. 

Speaking exclusively to NDTV on Friday, after it was revealed that Mr Gandhi, whom she had defeated in 2019, would not be contesting against her but would fight from Raebareli, Ms Irani said it was a matter of pride for her that "an ordinary BJP worker had sent the Gandhi family packing". Raebareli was the only seat that the Congress had won in Uttar Pradesh in 2019.

Asked about how she saw the developments of the day, the Women And Child Development minister said, "I think the Congress nomination and the entire Gandhi family backing out from a battle in Amethi is significant because, as far as I am concerned, it is the proclamation of defeat of the Congress party from Amethi."