Page 2 - Smriti Irani

Will win Amethi, Rae Bareli by 'big margin': Cong leader Bhupesh Baghel

BJP's Smriti Irani has carved her identity by opposing Rahul Gandhi but cannot do so in Amethi this time and will face defeat, Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel has said, exuding confidence that his party will win both the Amethi and Rae Bareli seats in Uttar Pradesh by "big margin" in the Lok Sabha polls. Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, who lost Amethi to Irani in the 2019 elections, has this time been fielded by the Congress from Rae Bareli and is contesting against BJP's Dinesh Pratap Singh. Gandhi family aide Kishori Lal Sharma is taking on Irani in Amethi. Both the seats have had close ties with the Gandhi family since Indira Gandhi contested and then Sanjay Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have all fought the polls from either of these two constituencies, Baghel said. "They have familial ties with every household here. The decision (of fielding Rahul Gandhi from Rae Bareli) was of the high command and our leaders have already spoken about it. We are fightin

Vehicles vandalised outside Amethi Congress office, party accuses BJP

Lok Sabha Polls: Congress has fielded KL Sharma from the Amethi seat against the incumbent MP Smriti Irani. Rahul Gandhi will be contesting from Raebareli

Would want a Gandhi to contest the seat, says Cong's Amethi bet KL Sharma

Congress's Amethi candidate Kishori Lal Sharma on Friday said he would rather a Gandhi fight from the seat, but he cannot refuse the party's order which asked him to fight the election. Sharma, a close aide of the Gandhi family, has been fielded by the Congress from the Amethi Lok Sabha seat a longstanding bastion of the Gandhi family, breached in 2019. "Even today, I want the Gandhi family to contest the election from Amethi. But I consider it my duty to accept the order given by the family," Sharma told PTI at the Gauriganj Congress office here. "I have always been a 'sevak' of the Gandhi family and whatever responsibility the Gandhi family has entrusted to its sevak, I will fulfil it," he said. After days of suspense, Congress on Friday fielded Sharma, a representative of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, and before them, Rajiv Gandhi, in Amethi, as its candidate for the seat. Sharma is scheduled to visit the Collectorate later in the day and file his nomination papers before ...

LS polls: Rahul Gandhi to contest from Rae Bareli; KL Sharma from Amethi

While Rahul Gandhi will be contesting against BJP's Dinesh Pratap Singh for the Bareli seat, KL Sharma will be up against Smriti Irani in Amethi

Lok Sabha elections: Smriti Irani files nomination from Amethi seat

Union minister and BJP leader Smriti Irani on Monday filed nomination papers from the Amethi Lok Sabha constituency. Irani filed her nomination papers in two sets before District Election Officer Nisha Anant. Accompanied by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and other BJP leaders, Irani held a 3-km roadshow, which started from the BJP office in Gauriganj, before filing her papers. The roadshow ended about 200 metres from the collectorate, as per the orders of the district magistrate. Uttar Pradesh minister Mayankashwar Sharan Singh and Irani's husband Zubin Irani also participated in the roadshow. Speaking to reporters after filing her nomination, Irani said, "With the blessings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, I got the opportunity to serve Amethi five years ago. I could achieve in five years what was not possible in 50 years." Attacking Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who represented Amethi from 2004 to 2019, Irani said, "There was a time when due to the missing MP, the fa

LS polls: Smriti Irani files nomination from Amethi after holding roadshow

Union minister and BJP leader Smriti Irani on Monday filed nomination papers from the Amethi Lok Sabha constituency. Accompanied by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and other leaders, Irani held a road show from the BJP office in Gauriganj before filing her papers. The road show was stopped about 200 metres before the collectorate as per the orders of the district magistrate. Uttar Pradesh minister Mayankashwar Sharan Singh and Irani's husband Zubin Irani also participated in the road show. Irani had won the seat, regarded as the stronghold of the Gandhi family, by defeating Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in 2019. The Congress has not yet announced its candidate from the seat, though partymen here believe that Rahul Gandhi will contest from the seat again. Amethi is scheduled to go to polls in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha polls on May 20.

LS polls: Smriti Irani holds roadshow in Amethi before filing nomination

As part of her campaign activities, the BJP leader rode a scooter, a day before filing her nomination through various localities, greeting residents and seeking their support.

Rahul will try to create division, don't fall for it, says Irani in Amethi

Union minister and local MP Smriti Irani on Monday alleged that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will come to Amethi after April 26 and divide the people in the name of casteism and visit one temple after the other. Addressing roadside meetings during her election campaign in Bhetua and Bhadar areas here, Irani said, "After the voting in Wayanad on April 26, Rahul Gandhi will come here to tell everyone that Amethi is his family and stoke the fire of casteism in the society here." She added, "Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party rejected the invitation for the consecration ceremony of Lord Shri Ram in Ayodhya but he will be seen roaming around the temples in Amethi. So there is a need to be careful and alert." In a major upset for the Congress in 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Irani wrested Amethi from Rahul Gandhi, who had held the constituency for 15 years. The Congress has not yet declared its candidate from the seat but local party workers are rooting for Rahul Gandhi to contest again. T

Will Rahul Gandhi contest from Amethi? Here's what the Congress leader said

There has been widespread speculation that Rahul Gandhi, who has already filed his nomination from Wayanad, will also contest from Amethi

Smriti Irani accuses Rahul Gandhi of taking PFI support in Wayanad

Union minister and Amethi MP Smriti Irani Monday alleged that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has taken the support of the banned Popular Front of India to contest the Lok Sabha election from Kerala's Wayanad seat. Referring to Gandhi, who represented Amethi in the Lok Sabha earlier, the BJP leader said the people of the constituency tolerated an MP for 15 years who did nothing for them. Irani is seeking a re-election from the seat. "We have received information that Rahul Gandhi took the support of the terrorist organisation PFI to contest the elections in Wayanad," she said. Irani also claimed that according to a charge sheet filed against the PFI, the outfit has listed the number of Hindus to be killed in every district. "Rahul Gandhi should tell the people of Amethi why he is contesting the Wayanad election with the help of such an organisation," Irani told reporters. "I was in Wayanad a few days ago and I came to know that Rahul Gandhi has declared Wayanad as his family. It is s

Election 2024: Robert Vadra to contest against Smriti Irani in Amethi?

Robert Vadra, the husband of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi, says that the people of Amethi are not happy with sitting MP Smriti Irani

LS polls 2024: Rahul Gandhi ashamed of IUML support, says Smriti Irani

Union Minister Smriti Irani on Thursday lashed out at Congress MP Rahul Gandhi by accusing him of being "ashamed" of party ally IUML as its flag was not shown during his roadshow in this hill district. The Union Minister for Women and Child Development, who had defeated Gandhi in Amethi in the 2019 general elections, said if he was ashamed of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), he should reject their support. She also said she was shocked that he had allegedly accepted support of Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), the political arm of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI). "By accepting their support, he (Gandhi) has also violated the oath to the Constitution taken during the filing of the nomination," she said while speaking to reporters after the filing of BJP state chief K Surendran's nomination from the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat. Irani also questioned as to who the Prime Ministerial candidate of INDIA bloc was and whether Gandhi was an acceptable choice for that ...

Rahul Gandhi left Amethi, even Wayanad won't be easy: Ravi Shankar Prasad

Senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday charged former Congress president Rahul Gandhi with having "run away from Amethi", the Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh represented by the latter until defeat at the hands of Union minister Smriti Irani. Addressing a press conference here, Prasad also alleged that Gandhi has shifted base to Wayanad "because of heavy concentration of Muslims and Christians" in the Kerala constituency, but claimed, "he is in for a tough fight there too". "Why has Rahul Gandhi run away from Amethi? He has won from there. Earlier, the seat had been represented by his father and late uncle Sanjay Gandhi. He should have had the courage to enter the fight", said the BJP leader. Notably, while the BJP has announced that Irani will be seeking re-election from Amethi, the Congress is yet to declare its candidate for the seat, fuelling speculations that Gandhi might be reluctant this time, having tasted defeat in the 2019 general elections. Prasad adde

PM Modi's decision right, says Smriti Irani defending CAA amid criticism

CM Banerjee said that CAA was linked to NRC and those who apply for CAA will immediately be considered illegal migrants, although they are citizens of the country

Defamation case against Smriti Irani: HC junks shooter Vartika Singh's plea

The Allahabad High Court has dismissed international shooter Vartika Singh's plea challenging an MP/MLA court order rejecting her defamation complaint against Union minister Smriti Irani. The Lucknow bench of the high court said that while replying to journalists' questions, if the petitioner was said to be associated with the Congress party or the "Gandhi family", it was not her defamation. The bench of Faiz Alam Khan passed the verdict on March 5 which was uploaded on Monday. Vartika Singh had filed a case in the Sultanpur MP/MLA court, accusing Irani of defamation. The case was dismissed by the special court on October 21, 2022. The petitioner had challenged the MP/MLA court's order in the high court. Singh's allegation was that when journalists asked Irani about the allegations made by the petitioner against her personal secretary, Irani described the petitioner as a "pawn" of the Congress and said she was having direct links with the Gandhi family. Quoting Irani's entire ...

Reorienting policy towards West Asia, chasing the Hindu vote at home

India's alignment with the US-Israel axis, especially after October 7, has been difficult for the Arab world to swallow. Hence, the pressure felt by India to modify its international stance

Smriti Irani challenges Rahul Gandhi for debate on UPA rule vs Modi govt

Union Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani has dared Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to have a debate on the "difference" between the 10 years of UPA rule and the Narendra Modi government

Rahul Gandhi, Smriti Irani to visit UP's Amethi on Monday for public events

Union minister Smriti Irani will pay a four-day visit to her parliamentary constituency of Amethi beginning Monday, on a day Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra is set to enter the Uttar Pradesh town. Gandhi had represented Amethi in the Lok Sabha for 15 years before he was defeated by Irani in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. This will perhaps be the only second time since 2019 that the two leaders will be in Amethi at the same time. They had been in the town at the same time in February 2022 to attend different campaign events in the run-up to the assembly polls. Irani's representative Vijay Gupta said the minister will be in her constituency for four days, during which she will hold interactions with residents of several villages and attend her house-warming ceremony on February 22. Prior to her election from Amethi, she had promised the electorate that she would build a house in the town and become a resident. According to Congress leaders, the Bharat Jodo Nyay

830,000 women have received help from one-stop centres: Smriti Irani

About 8.3 lakh women have been helped through the one stop centres, which have been established to provide integrated support and assistance under one roof to women affected by violence, Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani on Wednesday said. Speaking at the 32nd foundation day of the National Commission for Women (NCW), Irani highlighted various steps taken by the government to ensure the safety and security of women. She said one stop centres have been established in over 700 districts to help the women and added that more than 8.3 lakh women have received help through these centres. The aim of the one stop centres (OSCs) is to provide aid and assistance to the women. They are required to have a centre administrator, case workers, medical personnel, police facilitation officer, psycho-social counsellor, legal counsellor, security guard, IT staff and multi-purpose workers. The Women and Child Development (WCD) minister also said that 30 crore calls have been managed .

President Murmu to present Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar on Monday

President Droupadi Murmu will on Monday present the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar to 19 children for their exceptional achievements, an official statement said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with the award winners on Tuesday, it said. The children, comprising nine boys and 10 girls, hail from 18 states and Union Territories, including 2 aspirational districts. The Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar, 2024 will be given in six categories -- art and culture (7), bravery (1), innovation (1), science and technology (1), social service (4), and sports (5), according to the statement. Minister of Women and Child Development Smriti Irani will also interact with the children in the presence of Minister of State, Dr. Munjpara Mahendrabhai, the WCD ministry said. The Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar, a government initiative, aims to recognise and celebrate the exceptional achievements of children aged 5 to 18 years. Each awardee will receive a medal and a ...