LUCKNOW: Two powerful women of Indian politics — UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Union Minister Smriti Zubin Irani of the BJP — filed their nominations in adjacent constituencies of UP, setting off a ripple effect in north-central regions on Thursday. The two road shows, thereafter— just 65 km apart — were infectious, with thousands joining the cheering groups.
They waded through the streets packed with people like sardines making movement slow — traversing just about a km in hours. The synergy the two struck with their constituents was electric, as they marked their entry for the fifth phase of polls, which will end in ballots on May 6.
They had more than one thing in common.
Both-coincidentally were draped in maroonish red cotton sarees and accompanied by families. Both drove through the roads as the skies above filled with showers of rose petals. Sonia travelled in a tight security convoy; Smriti in an SUV with her husband Zubin Irani and Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath flanking her.
Both threw garlands back into the jubilant crowd of supporters, while hundreds lined the roads and rooftops to see them.‘Abki baar panch lakh paar, and panchvi baar panch lakh paar (Fifth tenure for Sonia with a difference of 5 lakh votes), cried out the crowd in Rae Bareli, while at Amethi, supporters shouted ‘Abki Baar Amethi hamaar’ (Amethi will be ours this time). Smriti is taking on Rahul Gandhi.
The two rivals in either constituencies showed they were joined in faith too. Sonia with her two children Rahul and Priyanka and son-in-law Robert, invoked all Gods and Goddesses through a sacrificial ritual before proceeding on her road show, while Smriti and family visited two local temples — Lodhi Baba and Boodhan Mai — before holding a hawan to seek the Goddess’ divine intervention.
While Sonia is seeking re-election from Rae Bareli for the fifth time in a row, since 1999, it is the second attempt by Smriti to breach the Gandhi bastion in Amethi. In 2014, Smriti had lost to Rahul Gandhi by a margin of one lakh votes.Interacting with media persons outside the collectorate, Sonia rejected the notion that PM Narendra Modi was invincible. “Not at all, not at all. Don’t forget 2004. Vajpayee Ji was invincible, but we won.”
However, standing beside his mother, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi said, “There have been many people in Indian history who had the arrogance to believe that they were invincible and bigger than the people of India. His invincibility will be for everyone to see on May 23”.Drawing a parallel between 2004 and 2019, Sonia Gandhi’s reminder came at a time when the BJP is depending a lot on Modi magic to sail through just as in 2014.
Smriti, meanwhile, targeted Rahul by questioning his silence on the money trail in Madhya Pradesh involving CM Kamal Nath’s kin. She asked who was being supplied that cash at Tughlaq Road in New Delhi. Repeating her ‘Missing MP’ jibe, Smriti claimed, “Rahul Gandhi has himself accepted his defeat by moving to Wayanad,” while promising all-round development of Amethi with her in the saddle.
She criticised the Congress president for failing to address the rural distress in the constituency, women issues and infrastructure requirements of Amethi.In fact, ‘didi’, as Smriti is referred to in Amethi, has managed to create a space for the BJP. She has paid 21 visits to Amethi and spent around a month in the constituency during last five years. “Broadening of the railway line, Pipri dam, a new unit of HAL, ops for farmers, SHG’s for women, besides roads and schools are a few initiatives to her name,” claimed Govind Singh, BJP Amethi unit in charge.
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Sonia Gandhi has earlier won Rae Bareli in 2004, 2006 bypolls, 2009 and 2014 general elections
Since 1957, the Congress has lost this seat only three times —in 1977, 1996 and 1998
In the previous 2014 election, Smriti Irani had lost Amethi to Rahul Gandhi by a margin of one lakh votes