Amethi, Uttar Pradesh: As of 4:36 pm on Tuesday, Smriti Irani, the Union Minister for Women and Child Development, is trailing by a significant margin of 1,39,450 votes in the Amethi constituency. This development comes as a surprise, given Irani’s previous electoral success in this constituency, which has long been a stronghold of the Gandhi family.
Irani, a prominent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, made headlines in 2019 by defeating then-Congress president Rahul Gandhi in Amethi. In that election, Irani secured 49.71% of the vote, while Gandhi garnered 43.86%. This victory was particularly notable as Amethi had been represented by Gandhi for three consecutive terms from 2004 to 2019. In the 2014 election, Irani had also come close to unseating Gandhi, obtaining 34.39% of the vote against his 46.72%.
Despite her 2014 defeat, Irani remained dedicated to nurturing the Amethi constituency. She frequently visited the area and even built a home in Mawai village. Her continuous engagement with the constituency and local development efforts highlighted her commitment.
Following the 2014 election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi appointed Irani as a cabinet minister, initially giving her the human resource development portfolio before later shifting her to the textiles ministry.
In an interview with NDTV, Irani suggested that Rahul Gandhi chose not to contest from Amethi in the 2019 election because he anticipated a tough fight. Her assertion reflects the intense political rivalry and the high stakes involved in this constituency.
As the vote count progresses, all eyes remain on Amethi to see how this crucial contest will unfold.
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