For Rahul Gandhi, a mere win from Amethi, a Congress citadel and the chosen electoral battle ground for his uncle Sanjay, father Rajiv and mother Sonia for decades will be nothing to gloat over. His political reputation depends on the margin with which he can defeat his main opponent, Smriti Irani of the BJP, a well known TV actor turned politician.
"Rahul will get at least 100,000 votes less than what he last polled," predicts an old resident of Amethi who does not want to be named. "I am an old Congress worker from the days of Rajiv. Amethi smelt like chandan (sandalwood) during the Rajiv era. Now it is smelling garbage". In a scathing criticism of Rahul's style of functioning he says: "Rahul has not connected with the people of Amethi. His father was emotionally connected though he stayed in far away Delhi".
