PM Mocks Rahul Gandhi for Raebareli Move: “Don’t Be Afraid, Don’t Run Away

Rahul Gandhi will be contesting the Lok Sabha polls from Raebareli. PM Modi, addressing a rally in Bengal, remarked that Rahul Gandhi had “run away” from Amethi for fear of defeat.

He taunted, “Today I also want to tell him, Daro Mat (don’t be afraid), Bhaago Mat (don’t run).” Rahul Gandhi has often accused the BJP government of using probe agencies to terrorize critics and political rivals, proclaiming “Daro Mat”.

PM Modi also criticized Sonia Gandhi, predicting that both mother and son would avoid contesting from their seats out of fear. “Their biggest leader will not dare to contest.

She will run away out of fear,” he stated. Several BJP leaders seized on the Amethi-Raebareli decision, calling it a clear indication that Rahul Gandhi knows he can’t win Amethi, where Smriti Irani is contesting again after her shock win in the last Lok Sabha election.

Union Minister Anurag Thakur noted, “Now his fear has taken him from Amethi to Wayanad and from Wayanad to Raebareli – the decision shows where all his fear of defeat is driving him.” Another BJP leader, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, expressed confidence that the BJP would win in Raebareli and Amethi by a huge margin.

Raebareli was held by Sonia Gandhi, who became a Rajya Sabha member from Rajasthan last month. As Rahul Gandhi moves to Raebareli, historically one of Congress’s safest seats, his rival is the BJP’s Dinesh Pratap Singh, who lost to Sonia Gandhi by over 1.67 lakh votes in the 2019 polls.

The Congress has named Kishori Lal Sharma for Amethi. Rahul Gandhi’s representative dismissed the BJP’s allegation that the Gandhis opted out of Amethi because they were “scared”, affirming, “Rahul Gandhi is not someone who runs away from the ground.

He is fighting for the whole country.” Both seats will vote in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha polls on May 20.

The Congress, which is contesting 17 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh as part of its seat-sharing pact with Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party, kept its Amethi and Raebareli announcement for the last minute as top leaders discussed the possibility of Rahul Gandhi fighting from Amethi and Priyanka Gandhi from Raebareli. Congress leader KC Venugopal stated, “The party requested Rahul to contest from Raebareli and he agreed.

For us, Raebareli, Amethi, and Wayanad seats are all dear. Raebareli is the seat which was held by Indira Gandhi and till recently it was held by Sonia Gandhi.

At the appropriate time, the party will decide which seat he will retain. The decision when taken will not affect anyone.”