Congress's Kishori Lal Sharma won from the Amethi Lok Sabha seat on Tuesday, defeating Union Minister and BJP leader Smriti Irani by a margin of over 1 lakh votes.
Following her loss, Irani expressed her gratitude to all the BJP party workers and supporters for their efforts in the elections. "I am grateful to PM Modi and CM Yogi Adityanath that their government have completed the pending works of 30 years in just 5 years," she said during a press conference.
"I congratulate those who win. I will continue to be in the service of the people of Amethi," she added.
Later, Irani took to X to address her loss from the constituency of Amethi and said, "Such is life... A decade of my life going from one village to another, building lives, nurturing hope & aspirations, working on infrastructure ― roads, naali, khadanja, bypass, medical college and more."
"To those who stood by me through loss and victory, I am forever grateful. To those celebrating today, congratulations," she added.
And finally to those asking, she said, "How's the josh? I say -- it's still high, Sir."
Meanwhile, KL Sharma, who won from Amethi, told news agency PTI that he does not see his victory against Smriti Irani in terms of a "revenge".
"There is no revenge in politics. It is like sportsmanship, one has to win and the other loses. We don't see things in terms of revenge and all," Sharma said.
He said that his win from the seat is a win of the people of Amethi and the Gandhi family. He said the constituency is the "amanat" of the Gandhi family, adding that he would ensure that there is no "amanat mein khayanat (breach of trust)".
Earlier on Wednesday, KL Sharma presented his winning certificate to Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and MP Rahul Gandhi in the national capital.
He also handed over Rahul's election certificate from Raebareli to him this morning. "He then gave me the guidance that I have to perform well in Parliament. So I told him that I will learn from him as he is a senior MP, I am only a first-timer," Sharma told PTI.
Sharma also said that he personally wishes for Rahul to keep the Raebareli seat. KL Sharma secured a staggering 5,39,228 votes from the Congress' bastion seat, Amethi.
The INDIA bloc bagged as many as 232 seats, as per the Election Commission, leading to the BJP falling short of the 272 majority mark.
The BJP secured 240 seats and with its NDA alliance, it is set to form government at the Centre, the Modi government, for a third term.
(With agency inputs)
