“Live Updates: Smriti Irani Trails in Early Trends of Amethi Election Results 2024”
Live Updates: Smriti Irani Trails in Early Trends of Amethi Election Results 2024
The anticipation surges as the nation awaits the outcome of the Lok Sabha election 2024, with all eyes fixed on the Amethi constituency in Uttar Pradesh. The destiny of Amethi was determined amidst the fifth phase of elections on May 20th, characterized by a notable 54.40% voter turnout.
In the annals of electoral history, the 2019 Lok Sabha elections etched a significant chapter as Congress suffered a monumental setback in Amethi, witnessing Smriti Irani’s triumph over Rahul Gandhi by a margin of 55,000 votes. When Rahul Gandhi, a prominent Congress figure, chose to contest from Raebareli instead of Amethi, the political reverberations were profound. Swift to seize the opportunity, Smriti Irani proclaimed a historic victory. However, the Congress has countered by fielding Kishori Lal Sharma, a staunch loyalist of the Gandhi family, against Smriti Irani.
Throughout her tenure as HRD minister from 2014 to 2016, Smriti Irani found herself embroiled in various controversies. Opposition factions accused her of reading a pamphlet containing derogatory remarks about Goddess Durga in parliament, an allegation vehemently refuted by Irani, who cited her profound devotion to Durga. Furthermore, discrepancies in her educational qualifications as stated in her election affidavits from 2004 to 2014 added fuel to the controversy surrounding her.
Criticism mounted against Irani’s handling of the Rohith Vemula case, a Dalit PhD scholar who tragically ended his life at the University of Hyderabad. The alleged involvement of the HRD Ministry, including reminders sent to the university’s Vice Chancellor regarding a complaint against Rohith, drew condemnation from opposition quarters.
In a more recent development, Smriti Irani challenged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to a debate on the disparities between the 10-year tenure of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and the BJP-led Modi government.
Despite the fervent propagation of Hindu nationalist ideals spearheaded by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the ideological alignment of the state with the saffron agenda remains a nuanced landscape. The intricate interplay of political dynamics in Uttar Pradesh suggests that while the state resonates with elements of the saffron ideology, it may not be unequivocally aligned with it.
Author: Apoorva Arora