Ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha elections, BJP, Congress trade challenges on Amethi

As the pace for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections gathers steam, the Congress on Wednesday claimed that that Union Minister Smriti Irani won the last election against Rahul Gandhi because of freebies and dared her to fight against the Congress leader from Amethi again. “Smriti Irani won the last election against Rahul Gandhi because of freebies,” Congress UP chief Ajay Rai was quoted as saying by a news channel. His comments came after Irani had said in an interview to Times Now that she was all set for the third electoral battle with the Congress scion. Irani had dismissed the Rahul Gandhi challenge by presenting the BJP’s Amethi report card and asserting that the constituency will vote for their future and not for the political future of the Gandhis. Rai had on 18 August announced that Rahul Gandhi will contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Amethi. On speculations that Priyanka Gandhi will contest the 2024 elections, Rai had said that she will contest from wherever she wants to. “If Priyanka Gandhi wishes to contest from Varanasi, every worker will strive to make her win,” he had said. Earlier on 17 August, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge appointed Rai as the chief of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee with immediate effect. “Congress president has appointed Ajay Rai, ex-MLA as the president of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee with immediate effect,” the release of All India Congress Committee stated. Ajay Rai was the Congress candidate from Varanasi in 2014 and 2019. He lost to Prime Minister Narendra Modi both times. With inputs from agencies