Union minister Smriti Irani and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi will be in Amethi on Monday, refreshing memories of the 2019 Lok Sabha election showdown between the two leaders. Gandhi, 53, is leading the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra and the march will enter the Uttar Pradesh town. On the other hand, Irani will be in her constituency for four days where she will interact with the residents. 

The simultaneous visit of the two leaders assumes significance as Amethi witnessed a high-octane contest between the two heavyweights in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. 

What Happened in 2019 Lok Sabha elections?
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Smriti Irani was fielded from Amethi for the second time, five years after she had lost the poll battle against Gandhi after giving a tough fight. Rahul Gandhi had won the seat by a narrow margin of 1.07 lakh votes, considering the dominance of Nehru-Gandhi family in the seat spanning decades. 

In the 2019 elections, Amethi witnessed the second round of Rahul Gandhi vs Smriti Irani showdown. The BJP leader defeated Gandhi by 55,120 votes, unseating him from the constituency from where he was undefeated since 2004. 

After her victory, Irani had taken to social platform X and quoted a line by Dushyant Kumar which literally means 'Nothing is Impossible'. 

Amethi Lok Sabha seat
Amethi is one of the 80 Lok Sabha constituencies in Uttar Pradesh. The Lok Sabha segment comprises assembly constituencies of Salon (SC), Amethi, Tiloi, Gauriganj and Jagdishpur (SC). 

Amethi has largely been a Congress stronghold since its formation in 1967. Rahul Gandhi's uncle Sanjay Gandhi was the first Congress leader from the Gandhi family to contest the seat. However, he lost the seat in 1977 due to nationwide anger against Indira Gandhi after the Emergency. He won the seat in 1980 Lok Sabha elections but his tenure was cut short with his tragic death in 1981. 

After Sanjay's death, his elder brother Rajiv Gandhi contested the seat in 1981 and was elected for the first time to the Rajya Sabha. He was elected in 1984, 1989 and 1991. In 1999, his wife Sonia Gandhi contested from the seat and entered Lok Sabha for the first time. 

In 2004, Sonia Gandhi decided to shift to Rae Bareli, a seat once represented by Indira Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi contested from Amethi and was elected thrice in 2004, 2009 and then in 2014.