In Amethi, Irani targets Rahul over tax raids

Amethi: Union minister Smriti Irani on Thursday filed nomination papers from Amethi, pitting herself against Congress president Rahul Gandhi who has won thrice from the LS constituency regarded as Gandhi family pocket borough.

Irani filed the nomination after a road show, which followed a similar route taken by the one organised by the Congress when Rahul Gandhi submitted his own papers here on Wednesday.

UP CM Yogi Adityanath accompanied her in a show of strength in the constituency, which has been nursed by the Union Textiles Minister even after she was defeated by Gandhi last time. She lost the 2014 election by over a lakh votes, but the shrunken margin of victory for Gandhi boosted the BJP’s hopes.

Gandhi is also contesting from Wayanad in Kerala, prompting the BJP to claim that he is “scared” to take on Irani. Irani, who has been lashing out at Gandhi for “missing” from Amethi and for its “lack of development,” continued to attack him today, questioning his “silence” over the I-T raids against aides of Madhya Pradesh CM Kamal Nath. The roadshow began with prayers at the Gauriganj’s Budhanmaai temple, where her husband Zubin Irani accompanied her.