Garry Kasparov Trolls Rahul Gandhi After Leaving Amethi For Rae Bareli

Russian chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov has apparently trolled Congress leader Rahul Gandhi after he left Amethi to contest from Rae Bareli in the Lok Sabha elections.

Without naming Rahul, Kasparov tweeted, "Traditional dictates that you should first win from Raebareli before challenging for the top!"

His comments are seen as a rebuttal to Rahul's recent remarks on chess where he had drawn a parallel between chess and politics. He had said, "In chess, the idea is to make sure that you are controlling the centre," Gandhi had said. "But if one does not understand the centre, he is unable to apply pressure properly. Similarly, in politics, if you don't have a clear idea of what you are trying to do, it means you don't understand the centre," he stated.

BJP Attacks Rahul

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several ministers from his cabinet have mocked Rahul Gandhi for his decision to contest in Amethi.

PM Modi remarked that Sonia Gandhi's decision to resign from her Lok Sabha seat and instead enter Parliament through the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan was a clear indication that the Congress had anticipated defeat.

"Now, the 'shehzada' of the Congress, who went to Wayanad after losing the Amethi seat, is also contesting from Rae Bareli. He knows he will lose Wayanad this time," the PM said on Rahul Gandhi contesting from Rae Bareli. "I had said earlier that the 'prince', after polling in Wayanad, would look for another seat, due to fear of defeat in that constituency. Now, he had to run away from Amethi and choose the Rae Bareli seat. They go around and ask people not to feel afraid. I would tell them the same thing: don't be afraid and don't run away," he attacked.

In 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Rahul Gandhi had lost from adjoining Amethi but won from Wayanad -- a seat he is contesting this time as well.

However, the Congress explained that the decision to nominate Rahul Gandhi from Rae Bareli was made after careful consideration and strategic planning. It said that the constituency holds significance not only as a legacy but also as a responsibility.

"Many people have given different opinions on the news of Rahul Gandhi contesting the elections from Rae Bareli. But he is a seasoned player of politics and chess. He makes his moves after careful consideration. The party leadership has taken this decision after a lot of deliberation and strategy," Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said.