Rahul Gandhi vs Smriti Irani 3.0 In Amethi: Sources
NDTV
Videos from the spot showed Smriti Irani attending the ceremony with her husband Zubin Irani, carrying the ceremonial kalash (water-filled pot) on her head amid the chanting of mantras. Guests milled about under a colourful tent.
Union minister Smriti Irani, has bought a house in her constituency – Amethi -- signalling long-term plans for the constituency which has been Congress bastion for the better part of 50 years. The "Griha Pravesh" ceremony --- the formal entrance to a new home accompanied by elaborate rituals -- was held last month, weeks ahead of news that Rahul Gandhi would be making an effort to win back the seat, represented once by his father, the late Rajiv Gandhi and later, his mother Sonia Gandhi.
The Congress top leadership's blessing, though, is pending. Senior party leader Jairam Ramesh said the CEC (Congress Central Election Committee) "will decide on who contests from Amethi".
Ms Irani had set her cap for Amethi -- the family bastion of Congress's Rahul Gandhi -- ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. That time, she had camped out in the constituency for days but lost the election.
