Tuesday, May 21, 2024
    ADVT 
    India

    Smriti Zubin Irani Shatters Congress Castle At Amethi, Rahul Gandhi Concedes Defeat

    Darpan News Desk IANS, 23 May, 2019 05:27 PM

      Amethi, on Thursday, snapped its 39 years long relationship with the Gandhi family -- a relationship that was filled with emotions and nurtured with emotions.

       

      The victory of BJP's Smriti Irani and defeat of Rahul Gandhi is not just the result of an electoral battle -- it is much more than that.

       

      Bechu Khan, a businessman in Jagdishpur, aptly summed up the result when he said: "Amethi is witnessing a generational shift. The new generation has little room for emotions and is more concerned about its future which they saw in Smriti Irani and the BJP.

       
       

      "This new generation has not seen Rajiv Gandhi connect with the local people. They have not seen how Sanjay Gandhi made Amethi important so they do not have an emotional relationship with the Gandhi family."

       

      For the people of Amethi, development has rarely been an issue. "For us, the identity was more important. Wherever we went across the country and said that we were from Amethi, we would get respect and local Congressmen would reach out to help us. This mattered more for the local people," said Shiv Nath Shukla, a lawyer from Gauriganj.

       
       

      Then what made Amethi ditch the Gandhis this time?

       

      The local people say that it is the young voters who are responsible for electing Smriti Irani.

       

      "She reached out to them, helped them get scholarships, jobs etc. In her, they saw a hope for their future. The local BJP leaders acted as a bridge between Smriti Irani and the people. This time, Amethi has voted for its own interest," said Ram Sevak, a Congress worker from Musafirkhana.

       
       

      Moreover, Irani kept campaigning in Amethi even after she lost the seat in 2014 by a margin of over one lakh votes. She would regularly visit the constituency and point out Rahul Gandhi's absence. People from Amethi had easy access to her in Delhi, too.

       

      Amethi was first won by the Congress in 1980 and has remained with the Congress, barring one year when the BJP won the seat.

       

      In 1980, Sanjay Gandhi had won the seat but after his death, Rajiv Gandhi won the seat in a by-election in 1981. Rajiv Gandhi retained the seat in 1984, 1989 and in 1991.

       
       
       
       

      In 1991 and 1996, Captain Satish Sharma, a friend of the Gandhi family won the seat but in 1998, the BJP wrest the seat when Sanjay Singh was elected.

       

      A year later, Sonia Gandhi entered politics and won the Amethi seat which she retained till 2004. Rahul Gandhi won the seat in 2004, 2009 and 2014.

       
       
       
       
       
       
       
      Prev Next

      MORE India ARTICLES

      My Wife Will Never Lie: Navjot Singh Sidhu On Her Claim Blaming Capt Amarinder Singh Over Ticket Denial

      “My wife has that much strength and moral authority that she will never lie. This is my answer,” Navjot Singh Sidhu, who is Tourism and Culture minister, said when asked about his wife's allegations.  

      My Wife Will Never Lie: Navjot Singh Sidhu On Her Claim Blaming Capt Amarinder Singh Over Ticket Denial

      NS Premier Told China Party Official Canadians Need To Feel 'Safe' During Visits

      NS Premier Told China Party Official Canadians Need To Feel 'Safe' During Visits
      Stephen McNeil said Thursday it's best to maintain a dialogue with China, even as the federal Public Security minister decried the nation's formal arrest of two Canadian citizens it has been holding since December.

      NS Premier Told China Party Official Canadians Need To Feel 'Safe' During Visits

      Dr. Kriti Bharti: Taking Child Marriage to Courts

      Saarthi, is a medium to educate people about the importance of education and injustice of child marriages contributing to sexual abuse, unsafe pregnancies, low rate of education, and poverty.

      Dr. Kriti Bharti: Taking Child Marriage to Courts

      Opposition Is Afraid, So They Are Hurling Abuses, Says Sunny Deol

      BJP candidate from Gurdaspur, Sunny Deol, said there is still enough time for him to become a politician, but the love and affection he is getting during his campaign would surely translate into votes for him.

      Opposition Is Afraid, So They Are Hurling Abuses, Says Sunny Deol

      Modi Should Have Taken Manmohan’s Advice Before Demonetisation: Rahul

      “Modi used to make fun of Manmohan Singh. But after five years now, Modi ji does not make fun of Manmohan ji. Today the country is making fun of him,” Gandhi said at an election rally here.

      Modi Should Have Taken Manmohan’s Advice Before Demonetisation: Rahul

      Mani Shankar Aiyar Abuses Journalists, Calls PM Modi 'Coward'

      Mani Shankar Aiyar Abuses Journalists, Calls PM Modi 'Coward'
      Mani Shankar Aiyar lost his temper at TV reporters who met him at the Punjab government guest house in Shimla and questioned him over an article he wrote, recalling a slur he directed at PM Modi in 2017.

      Mani Shankar Aiyar Abuses Journalists, Calls PM Modi 'Coward'

      PrevNext