The Newshour Debate: The challenger - 2

Actor-turned-politician Smriti Irani, who has been named the BJP candidate against Rahul Gandhi from Amethi Lok Sabha seat, today expressed confidence that she will win the "challenge". "The party has trusted on my merit and capacity to field me as a candidate from Amethi for the next parliamentary polls and I accept this challenge humbly," the BJP national national vice-president said. When asked how she felt on being pitted against the Congress Vice-President who is the sitting MP from here, Irani said, "When a warrior goes in the battlefield, he tries to win... and I will also win this battle."

"The declaration of my candidature took place on the first day of 'navratris' and it will go in my and the party's favour as blessings of the Maa (Goddess Durga) have been showered upon me," she said. Irani appealed to the people of Amethi to give their "blessings" to her. She also delivered the vote of thanks to the parliamentary board of the party for selecting her for the seat. Apart from Irani and Rahul Gandhi, other prominent candidates from the seat are Aam Aadmi Party's Kumar Vishwas and BSP's Dharmendra Pratap Singh. Amethi will go to polls on May 7.

In a debate moderated by TIMES NOW's Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami, panelists -- Smriti Irani, Vice President and MP, Rajya Sabha, BJP; C R Kesavan, Spokesperson, Congress; Gaurav Bhatia, National President ,Legal wing, SP and Saba Naqvi, Political Editor, Outlook -- discuss whether, with Vishwass early groundwork and Rahul's Amethi record, can Smriti put up a fight with late entry?