New Delhi. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday accused the country’s main opposition party of indulging in “nepotism politics” after the party’s decision to retain former Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s Rae Bareli seat and field Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for the by-election from Wayanad seat in Kerala.
BJP national spokesperson Shahzad Poonwala alleged, “After Rahul Gandhi’s decision to leave Wayanad seat and his sister’s decision to contest from there, it has become clear today that Congress is not a political party but a family company.” He said, “Mother (Sonia Gandhi) will be in Rajya Sabha, son (Rahul Gandhi) will be in Lok Sabha from one seat (Rae Bareli) and Priyanka will also be in Lok Sabha from another seat (Wayanad). This is a symbol of dynasty.”
This reaction of BJP has come after the statement of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. Kharge said that Rahul will retain the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh and will vacate the Wayanad seat in Kerala. He said that his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will contest from Wayanad.
The BJP spokesperson termed Rahul Gandhi’s decision to vacate the Wayanad seat as a ‘betrayal’ of the people of the constituency and alleged that this decision makes it clear that the ‘political legacy’ of the Gandhi family will remain with the son. He alleged, “This shows who comes first between the son and the daughter.”
Poonawala claimed that Gandhi decided not to leave the Rae Bareli seat because he knew that if he did so, the seat would go to the BJP in the by-election. He said that Gandhi won the Rae Bareli seat due to the support of the Samajwadi Party.
He claimed, “Immediately after the election, the BJP once again became strong in this seat.” K. Surendran, who had contested from Wayanad on a BJP ticket, is likely to be fielded by the BJP against Priyanka Gandhi from this seat in the by-election.
Tags: BJP, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi
FIRST PUBLISHED : June 17, 2024, 23:07 IST