HRD Minister Smriti Irani addressing a public meeting in Salon, Rae Bareli in UP. Irani contested and lost the Lok Sabha elections from the neighbouring constituency of Amethi. She lost to Rahul Gandhi by a very slender margin.
Irani's second visit to Amethi/Rae Bareli in less than two weeks is not just the launch of an offensive on Rahul's turf. Her earlier visit on May 12 had bested Rahul's visit which came a week later, but today's visit is part of the BJP's initiative to celebrate Prime Minister Narendra Modis one
year in office.
The party began a week-long campaign called
Jan Kalyan Parv or
Peoples Welfare Festival aimed at countering a flood of charges that
its policies are pro-corporate and anti-poor.
The party will hold 200 rallies across the country with Modi
flagging of the campaign with the first meeting at Nagla Chandrabhan village in
Mathura, the birthplace of Deendayal Upadhyaya, yesterday. As part of
the festival, all Union Ministers, BJP MPs, party Chief Ministers and
MLAs, besides Central and State office-bearers will travel across the
country to highlight the governments achievements.