The political temperature in Amethi has sharply escalated ahead of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visiting the constituency, after a series of posters criticising sitting MP Kishori Lal Sharma appeared across several parts of the district.
The posters questioned Sharma’s performance nearly two years after his victory in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where he defeated senior BJP leader Smriti Irani by a margin of over 1.5 lakh votes in one of the biggest political upsets of the election.
The campaign material accused the Congress MP of failing to deliver visible development work in the constituency and suggested that only a limited number of welfare initiatives had been introduced during his tenure.
Posters Compare Sharma’s Tenure With Smriti Irani Era
Several posters circulating in the constituency compared Sharma’s term with the period when Smriti Irani represented Amethi, claiming that infrastructure projects and development activities had slowed down after the change in leadership.
The messages highlighted issues related to roads, healthcare, education and local employment, alleging that many projects initiated earlier had either stalled or lost momentum.
The posters quickly became a political flashpoint in the constituency, intensifying the ongoing rivalry between the Congress and the BJP in one of Uttar Pradesh’s most politically symbolic seats.
Congress Calls Posters BJP’s ‘Desperation’
Congress leaders dismissed the campaign as a politically motivated attempt by the BJP to weaken the party’s growing influence in Amethi ahead of future elections.
Party representatives claimed the posters reflected frustration within the BJP after losing the seat in 2024, arguing that the Congress was steadily rebuilding its political base in the region.
Meanwhile, BJP leaders defended the public messaging, insisting that the posters represented dissatisfaction among local residents regarding development and governance issues.
The BJP also claimed that the previous administration under Smriti Irani had delivered major projects that people still remembered positively.
Rahul Gandhi’s Visit Seen as Strategic Move
Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to begin a two-day visit to Amethi and Raebareli, where he is expected to hold meetings with party leaders, district-level office bearers and grassroots workers.
Political observers believe the visit is part of the Congress party’s broader effort to strengthen its organisational structure in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
The Congress leadership sees renewed potential in the state after improving its performance in the 2024 general elections and securing multiple Lok Sabha seats.
Amethi Once Again Turns Into Political Battleground
Amethi has historically remained one of the most closely watched political constituencies in India due to its long association with the Gandhi family and its symbolic importance in national politics.
The emergence of poster campaigns and intensified political messaging ahead of Rahul Gandhi’s visit suggests that the constituency is once again becoming a major battleground between the Congress and BJP.
