Smriti Irani’s elevation rekindles buzz over BJP’s Amethi-Rae-Bareli mission | Lucknow News

Lucknow: BJP’s decision to elevate Smriti Irani as national general secretary has put the spotlight back on its plans for Amethi and Rae Bareli, signalling a renewed push to expand its footprint in the Congress bastions ahead of the UP Assembly elections.After losing Amethi to Congress’s KL Sharma in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Irani has kept a low profile outside as well as within BJP. She has rarely visited Amethi — which she represented as MP from 2019 to 2024 — choosing instead to stay in Delhi, while occasionally travelling to other states on organisational assignments. She last visited Amethi in July to meet the family of four-time BJP MLA Tej Bhan Singh, who passed away last month.Her elevation has revived speculation within BJP that she could once again emerge as one of the party’s principal political faces in the region.BJP sources said the TV actor-politician may soon return to her fiery style and begin camping in Uttar Pradesh, particularly in Amethi and Rae Bareli, to bolster party’s poll preparedness for the Assembly elections.The political arithmetic of the two districts is a challenge for the BJP, which found itself pitted against Congress ally Samajwadi Party in the 2022 Assembly elections.In 2022, BJP won two (Tiloi and Jagdishpur) of the four Assembly seats in Amethi, while SP secured Gauriganj and Amethi, though Gauriganj MLA Rakesh Pratap Singh later shifted to the BJP camp.In Rae Bareli, SP won four of the six assembly seats — Bacchhrawan, Harchandpur, Sareni and Unchahar. BJP managed to win only Rae Bareli and Salon. SP’s Unchahar MLA Manoj Pandey, however, later switched loyalties to the BJP and is now a minister in Yogi govt.Irani’s political significance in Amethi is difficult to separate from the constituency’s larger Congress-versus-BJP narrative.Her return to the organisation has triggered celebrations among BJP workers in Amethi and Rae Bareli. Party supporters burst crackers and distributed sweets, asserting that “Didi”, as Irani is fondly known, will soon be back among the people.“She has done so much for the people of Amethi. Despite losing to Rahul Gandhi in 2014, Didi kept visiting Amethi regularly. She enjoys a special place in the hearts of the people here,” BJP’s Amethi district president Sudhanshu Shukla told TOI on Tuesday.Shukla recounted a host of projects executed at Irani’s intervention when she was a Union minister between 2014 and 2019 and later as Amethi MP from 2019 to 2024.“We expect her to resume her initiatives, now as BJP national general secretary,” Shukla said, dropping hints that Irani could soon begin the groundwork for party’s campaign in the Congress bastion.All eyes are also on the Rajya Sabha elections due in Nov. Sources said Irani is among the leading contenders for a berth in the Upper House, a move that could further strengthen her political standing in the constituency.