Smriti Irani gave Congress president Rahul Gandhi a huge shock by dethroning him from Amethi in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. In her first interview after the win, she said that she owed her victory to the 3 lakh people in Amethi.
"I did not defeat Rahul Gandhi but the people of Amethi chased him away," an elated Smriti Irani told Republic TV.
Speaking about Amethi and what she will do for her constituency, Irani said, "We take it for granted that we have a toilet at home, but there, they have to defecate in the open, women will be eve-teased. Modi gave them that solution, 2,80,000 people will get a toilet for their houses for the first time. The elite people in Delhi would not understand that."
She added that even though BJP lost Amethi to Rahul Gandhi in 2014, the government helped the people there. "We weren't concentrating on an individual but on the concept of somebody given the responsibility and not fulfilling it," Irani said.
"We are crafted in such a way that we believe it is a great privilege to serve the people. We got an indication about Rahul Gandhi's failure in 2014, it got reaffirmed in 2017 and in 2019, it became a reality for us," she added.
Irani further said that Rahul Gandhi's press conference asking her to take care of the people of Amethi is an indication that Congress had an inkling of the election outcome.
She went on say that it will be arrogance on her part if she conducts a press conference of her victory till the official announcement by the Election Commission came out. "I waited till the Election Commission officially announced the mandate. So, I didn't say anything before the announcement."
