In a huge setback for the BJP, Union Minister Smriti Irani is staring at a humiliating defeat in Amethi with the Congress’s K L Sharma racing ahead by a staggering 1.66 lakh votes as per leads until 6 pm.
In the neighbouring Rae Bareli constituency, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi looks set to shatter his mother Sonia Gandhi’s previous record margins by leading with a massive 3.90 lakh vote advantage over his BJP rival.
The Amethi result comes as a big boost for the Congress, with Rahul having lost the Gandhi family bastion to Smriti Irani in 2019 by a margin of 55,000 votes – a major blow at that time.
Hoping to wrest back the prestigious seat it had held all but once since 1980, the Congress this time fielded K L Sharma, a three-decade-old family loyalist deeply rooted in Amethi.
As Sharma surged ahead, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who spearheaded the Congress campaign in the two seats, expressed confidence about his victory.
“Kishori bhaiya, I never had any doubts, I was sure from the beginning that you will win. Hearty congratulations to you and my dear brothers and sisters of Amethi,” she said on X (formerly Twitter).
Sharma credited his resounding win to the Gandhi family’s legacy, alliance partner Samajwadi Party’s support and the people of Amethi.
“The credit goes to the Gandhi family as this is their land. People have sent the message that humility will prevail,” he stated.
In Rae Bareli, the lone seat the Congress had won in 2019, Rahul seems set to massively improve upon Sonia Gandhi’s biggest victory margin from the constituency.
While Sonia had won by around 3.72 lakh votes in 2009 which was her highest, Rahul is currently leading by over 3.9 lakh votes against the BJP’s Dinesh Pratap Singh who acknowledged his defeat.
The impressive performance has provided a major fillip to the Congress after being decimated in Uttar Pradesh in 2014 and 2019. With the Gandhis reasserting their dominance over their traditional strongholds, it could boost the party’s revival efforts in the politically crucial state.
