In the latest trends from Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi, Congress candidate Kishori Lal Sharma is leading against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Smriti Irani. As per the Election Commission of India (ECI), Sharma is currently ahead with 62,358 votes, while Irani trails behind.
Expressing gratitude, Sharma addressed reporters, saying, “I would like to thank the people of Amethi and the Gandhi family.” He added, “However, let the counting conclude. We will talk after that.”
Amethi has garnered significant attention as one of the most-watched seats among the 543 Lok Sabha constituencies. The exit polls predicted a fierce contest between BJP’s Irani and Gandhi family loyalist Sharma. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Irani defeated Congress candidate Rahul Gandhi in Amethi, a seat traditionally held by the Congress for many years. This year, Rahul Gandhi contested from Kerala’s Wayanad and Uttar Pradesh’s Raebareli, represented by former Congress president Sonia Gandhi since 2004.
In Uttar Pradesh, which holds the highest number of constituencies, the Samajwadi Party (SP) is leading in 35 seats, while the BJP is ahead in 34 seats, reflecting a significant decline from the 2019 elections. The Congress party is currently leading on seven seats according to the latest ECI trends.
Nationwide, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has crossed the majority mark in early leads, while the INDIA bloc is above 200 seats, challenging exit poll predictions. The BJP aims for a third consecutive term in power, while the Opposition, under the INDIA bloc, strives to oust the ruling party. Despite most exit polls predicting a third term for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a potential two-thirds majority for the NDA, the Congress and its allies have dismissed these forecasts as “orchestrated” and “fantasy,” insisting that the opposition will form the next government.
Strict security measures are in place to ensure smooth counting of votes for over 8,000 candidates in this general election. While two polls suggested the BJP might increase its tally from the 303 seats won in 2019, the NDA secured 353 seats in the last election, with the BJP winning 303 and the Opposition’s UPA securing 93 seats, of which Congress held 52.
Before the vote count concluded, the BJP secured a victory in the Surat Lok Sabha seat. The Lok Sabha elections were conducted nationwide in seven phases from April 19 to June 1.