BJP’s Smriti Irani gets defeated to Congress’ Kishori Lal in Amethi

Congress candidate Kishori Lal Sharma defeated the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Smriti Irani in Amethi Lok Sabha constituency.

Irani was vying to retain the seat in a close fight with the Gandhi family’s trusted lieutenant, Kishori Lal Sharma, in one of the most prestigious battles of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Amethi’s fate was sealed during the fifth phase of the elections on May 20th, marked by a 54.40% voter turnout.

Records

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Congress received its biggest jolt in Amethi, as Smriti Irani defeated Rahul Gandhi with 55,000 votes.

When Congress leader Rahul Gandhi opted to contest from Raebareli instead of Amethi, the decision reverberated in the political landscape. Smriti Irani, quick to seize the opportunity, declared that history had been made. However, Congress has fielded long-time Gandhi family loyalist Kishori Lal Sharma against Smriti Irani.

Smriti Irani’s controversies

During her tenure as HRD minister from 2014 to 2016, Smriti Irani was involved in several controversies. Opposition parties accused her of reading a pamphlet with derogatory remarks about Goddess Durga in parliament, a claim she vehemently denied, citing her devout worship of Durga.

Additionally, questions were raised about the consistency of her educational qualifications between her election affidavits in 2004 and 2014, further adding to the controversy surrounding her.