My biggest achievement will be when Rahul loses from Amethi: Smriti Irani at India Ka DNA.

Irani, who is contesting against Rahul Gandhi from the Amethi parliamentary constituency in the upcoming national election, said, “BJP is contesting from Amethi and I am just a representative. My fight against Rahul Gandhi is not personal. The fight is against an ideology.”

Highlighting the work she has done for the development of Amethi, Irani said, “My first job was to meet Yogi Adityanath (Uttar Pradesh CM) and got an embankment built in a village in Amethi that was facing threat from a river. It was the first time in 55 years that an embankment in Pipri village of Amethi and the credit goes to Yogiji and Modiji.” 

Irani said her “biggest achievement” will be when on May 23 Rahul Gandhi loses from Amethi. “Modi will once again become the pradhan sewak on May 23,” she said.

She added that BJP’s “fight is against corruption and dynasty. It is not against Rahul.”

Of Rahul’s decision to fight from Wayanad (Kerala) besides Amethi, Irani said that he is not sure if he’ll win from Amethi so, he has opted for an alternate seat too. “Congress workers in Amethi asked Rahul to contest from a second seat as they are not sure of winning. So, he is looking for a safe seat. Why is Congress president fighting from two seats if there is no Modi wave? The leader who is not sure of winning from his stronghold is talking about there being no Modi wave.”

Recalling the last election, Irani said, “He won by just over 1 lakh vote. Amethi voters want development and BJP cadre has worked a lot. Congress did not win a single Assembly seat in the 2017 Assembly election. Jaisi karni waisi bharni” (As you sow so shall you reap).

“India’s DNA has always been about hardworking people, respecting women, development. I come from a very simple family and not a royal family. India’s DNA has changed. There is no competition between a simple person and a dynast,” the union minister further said.

Asked if she sees Rahul Gandhi as a competition, Irani said, “The Congress president does not have the calibre to work for India’s development. I feel not only Priyanka Gandhi, but all of Rahul’s relatives should come into politics.”

Priyanka Gandhi, sister of Rahul Gandhi, recently joined active politics and began her election campaign from Uttar Pradesh.
 
Exuding confidence over the victory of Narendra Modi in 2019, she said, “The country is seeing if their MP is working in Parliament or just winking there. Will SP-BSP alliance work? They have always been at loggerheads. Mahamilawat only talks about Modi and removing him. The factor in 2019 is that voters want Modi as PM again.”

Congress has always worked for its own development, never did the party work for the country, she added. “Why was the government sitting quietly after 2008 Mumbai attack? When we carried out strikes after Uri and Balakot, the opposition questions the action,” Irani said.

“Even in 2013 many pollsters and opinion writers wrote that BJP will not win if Modi is the PM face. What happened? There was a Modi tsunami in 2014. So we will win again in 2019,” Irani added.

The union minister also said that BJP believes that we should build our path to success on the barbs thrown by the opposition. “Opposition has politicised every institution like Supreme Court, Army and others. Congress tried to rattle Modi but he did not waver in his commitment to work for the development of the country,” she said.

Of those questioning why PM Modi announced about ASAT missile, she said, “Why should not the PM tell the country about a massive achievement like ASAT missile? The opposition is just trying to ensure that Indians are not proud of the achievements of the scientists and others.”