Smriti Irani files nomination from Amethi seat

AMETHI : Union minister and BJP MP Smriti Irani filed nomination papers from the Amethi Lok Sabha seat on Monday.

Accompanied by Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav and other BJP functionaries, Irani held a 3-km roadshow, from the BJP office in Gauriganj till the collectorate, before filing her papers. UP minister Mayankashwar Sharan Singh and Irani’s husband Zubin Irani also participated in the roadshow.

Irani filed her nomination papers in two sets before district election officer Nisha Anant.

Speaking to reporters after filing her nomination, Irani, the sitting MP from Amethi, said, “With the blessings of PM 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 farmers of Amethi had to face lathis for 15 years for fertiliser. But the PM freed the farmers from this serious problem by building a fertiliser centre here.”

Also, houses were provided to 1.14 lakh poor people, toilets were built for 4 lakh poor families which benefited 16 lakh people, 1.5 lakh houses got electricity connections and 4.20 lakh farmers are getting the benefit of the Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana,” she said, listing the work done in her constituency.

Irani wrested the Gandhi bastion from Rahul in 2019. The Congress is yet to announce its candidate in Amethi.

Amethi goes to polls in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha polls on May 20.