New Delhi: Television actor-turned-politician Smriti Irani will take on Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi in his constituency Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP announced on Monday night.
After she was named, a confident Ms Irani said, "We will give a tough fight and win."
In neighbouring Rae Bareli, the constituency of Congress president and Rahul's mother Sonia Gandhi, the BJP will field a lawyer, popularly known in legal circles as PIL expert, Ajay Agarwal. (Also read: Sonia Gandhi to file her nomination on April 2)
The BJP's election committee, which met on Monday, reportedly discussed yoga teacher Baba Ramdev's suggestion that senior party leader Uma Bharti contest against Mrs Gandhi, but there was no unanimity on this. Ms Bharti has already been named as the BJP's candidate from Jhansi. (Anti-climax. No Uma Bharti vs Sonia Gandhi after all)
In this election, political parties seem to be bucking the trend of not putting up strong candidates against top leaders of rival parties. The Congress signaled that change when it announced that Rahul Gandhi's close aide Madhusudhan Mistry would take on Narendra Modi, the BJP's prime ministerial candidate, in Vadodara. (Read more...)
The Congress nominee in Varanasi will also have to contend with Arvind Kejriwal of the Aam Aadmi Party, who has declared war on Narendra Modi.
After she was named, a confident Ms Irani said, "We will give a tough fight and win."
In neighbouring Rae Bareli, the constituency of Congress president and Rahul's mother Sonia Gandhi, the BJP will field a lawyer, popularly known in legal circles as PIL expert, Ajay Agarwal. (Also read: Sonia Gandhi to file her nomination on April 2)
The BJP's election committee, which met on Monday, reportedly discussed yoga teacher Baba Ramdev's suggestion that senior party leader Uma Bharti contest against Mrs Gandhi, but there was no unanimity on this. Ms Bharti has already been named as the BJP's candidate from Jhansi. (Anti-climax. No Uma Bharti vs Sonia Gandhi after all)
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In this election, political parties seem to be bucking the trend of not putting up strong candidates against top leaders of rival parties. The Congress signaled that change when it announced that Rahul Gandhi's close aide Madhusudhan Mistry would take on Narendra Modi, the BJP's prime ministerial candidate, in Vadodara. (Read more...)
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The Congress nominee in Varanasi will also have to contend with Arvind Kejriwal of the Aam Aadmi Party, who has declared war on Narendra Modi.
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