On his first visit to Amethi after losing to Union Minister Smriti Irani in the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections , former Congress president Rahul Gandhi attributed his defeat to local leaders staying away from the people and assured he will not abandon the constituency, party functionaries said.

“I will not leave Amethi. It is my home and family,” former state Youth Congress chief Nadeem Ashraf Jayasi quoted Gandhi as saying at a meeting.

The development of Amethi will not be hampered. I am the MP from Wayanad but my ties with Amethi are three decades old. I will fight for Amethi in Delhi,” Gandhi reportedly told party workers.

Later on Gandhi, while addressing party workers, said: “Narendra Modi is Prime Minister, Yogi-ji is Chief Minister and the Member of Parliament is from BJP (Smriti Irani). We have to do the work of the opposition now. You know that the work of the opposition is most enjoyable. It is easy. So now you have to do the work of the opposition in Amethi.”