Welcome Jairam Ramesh's statement, want Rahul Gandhi to contest from Amethi: Smriti Irani

Amethi (Uttar Pradesh) [India], February 20 : Union Minister Smriti Irani who had earlier unseated Rahul Gandhi from his Congress stronghold Amethi in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, said she welcomed party general secretary Jairam Ramesh's statement that Rahul Gandhi will contest from Amethi this time as well.
"I am happy that Jairam Ramesh has accepted my challenge and Rahul Gandhi is ready to contest elections from Amethi without Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati's support," Irani said, speaking to reporters on Tuesday.
The Union Minister, however, asked Rahul Gandhi to announce this through the party's Cenrtral Election Committee (CEC) on Tuesday.
"Being an ordinary worker of BJP, I welcome this challenge. Since Jairam Ramesh has announced this, today all of us, Amethi workers will be waiting for Rahul Gandhi to announce this through CEC today," Irani said.
Earlier in the day, Jairam Ramesh said that people from Amethi want Rahul Gandhi to come back to Amethi though the final decision needs to be taken by Rahul Gandhi himself and the CEC.
"The people of Amethi want their brother, their son Rahul Gandhi to return to them. But this will be decided by Rahul Gandhi ji and CEC," Ramesh said speaking to ANI on Tuesday.
Amethi used to be a Congress stronghold in Uttar Pradesh, where Rahul Gandhi lost to Smriti Irani by a margin of around 55,000 votes in the 2019 elections.
The Congress is still undecided on wether Rahul Gandhi will make an attempt at regaining the Congress stronghold specially since Sonia Gandhi has also left Rae Bareili for the Rajya Sabha.
"CEC will decide on who will contest from Amethi. Rahul Gandhi has been an MP from Amethi thrice. His father Rajiv Gandhi also used to contest from Amethi. It is a very important constituency for the Congress party..." said Congress leader Jairam Ramesh.
Union Minister Smriti Irani, who is on a four-day visit to her parliamentary constituency of Amethi on Monday, launched a scathing attack on the Congress and said that the empty streets that greet Rahul Gandhi are a reflection of the people of Amethi's anger towards the Gandhi family.
Even as former Congress president Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra entered Amethi, a political face-off was seen.
Union Minister and BJP MP from Amethi spoke to the media on Monday and said, "The anger of the people of Amethi against the Gandhi family is visible. Today, when Rahul Gandhi) arrived, he was welcomed by empty streets. The anger of those who were deprived of development in Amethi has today transformed into empty streets for the visit of the Gandhi family."