NEW DELHI: Indicating his keenness to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Amethi, Robert Vadra, businessman and husband of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has said that the people of Amethi expect him to represent their constituency if he thinks of becoming a member of Parliament. In an interview with ANI, Vadra also targeted Union Minister Smriti Irani, who represents Amethi, saying that people feel they made a mistake by electing her.
Smriti Irani defeated Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Amethi, a Nehru-Gandhi family stronghold, in one of the biggest upsets of the polls.
Almost pitching his candidature from Amethi, Robert Vadra, who has indicated his electoral ambitions earlier too, said the Gandhi family has worked hard in Amethi and surrounding areas. “They want a member of the Gandhi family returns, they will ensure the person’s victory with a huge margin, they also expect that if I take my first step in politics, and think of becoming an MP, then I should represent Amethi,” he said. However, Vadra also said he wants that party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi should become MP first and he can follow her.
“I want Priyanka (Gandhi) to become an MP first and then I feel I can also come…I interact with people and there are MPs from different parties. They (MPs) ask me to come along with their party and ask me the reasons for the delay. They also assure me of their support…so different parties across the country are asking me to come along…I have friendships with a lot of people above the party lines,” he said. Vadra said that the decision on Amethi and Rae Bareli will be taken by the Congress leadership.
“I’m not saying that I will contest from Amethi or Priyanka will contest from Rae Bareli. The decision will taken by the Congress party,” he said.
Vadra said he joined hands with Priyanka Gandhi for the Congress campaign in Amethi in the 1999 Lok Sabha polls. “That’s time politics was very different, fear was sought to be created among people. We use to visit sensitive areas at night, put up posters, distributed bags, worked hard with our workers day and night and gave them trust that we are there and they should keep working in their areas and booths. They know how we worked hard and there was brotherhood and love, which is still there,” he said.
“The people with whom I worked…outside my office, residence…they send message through social media, they cut cake on my birthday, arrange langar or other service for people because they know I like this. People in the country see that I stay among people, work hard as much as possible for the disabled and blind children and spend all time in charity. I visit on religious tour and they celebrate my birthday and celebrate festivals in my name and distribute among people there (Amethi),” he added. Vadra was asked if he could be a candidate from Amethi.
He said the person who represents Amethi should talk about the welfare of the people of the constituency, their well-being, security and should not indulge in politics of discrimination. He said the people of the constituency are very upset with the present MP from the seat. “They feel they made a mistake as I think she does not visit the seat frequently, she does not think of the progress of the constituency, she thinks how to make baseless allegations, raise questions on the Gandhi family and create noise and misuse her position,” he said.
“Gandhi family has for years worked hard in Amethi, Rae Bareli, Sultanpur, Jagdishpur…there was a lot of progress. When people of Amethi feel that they made a mistake and voted for Smriti and Rahul had from there…..whatever, he had to go to another constituency or whatever…, I feel they want that a member of Gandhi family comes back…,” he said.
Congress has not yet named its candidates for Amethi and Rae Bareli seats in Uttar Pradesh, where it is contesting the Lok Sabha polls in alliance with Samajwadi Party. The Congress election committee in Uttar Pradesh had last month unanimously recommended that members of the Gandhi family should contest from Amethi and Raebareli Lok Sabha constituencies. Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi has been representing Rae Bareli since 2004. She has now been elected to Rajya Sabha.
