UP Election 2024: Rahul leads Rae Bareli; Irani trails in Amethi

Early trends from the Election Commission indicate that Rahul Gandhi of the Congress is leading by over 16,000 votes in the Rae Bareli constituency, ahead of BJP candidate Dinesh Singh. In Amethi, Union Minister Smriti Irani is trailing by more than 5,000 votes behind Congress candidate Kishori Lal Sharma. The trends also show the Opposition’s INDIA bloc leading in 37 seats, while the BJP is leading in 36 seats.

As the results for the 18th Lok Sabha elections are being declared today, the focus is on Uttar Pradesh, which plays a crucial role in determining the formation of the government at the Centre due to its 80 Lok Sabha seats. In the 2019 elections, the NDA won 62 seats in Uttar Pradesh, contributing significantly to its second term in power.

The Congress has faced a steady decline in its influence in the Hindi heartland. In the previous election, it secured only one seat in Uttar Pradesh: Rae Bareli, held by former party president Sonia Gandhi. A notable loss for the Congress was Amethi, where Smriti Irani defeated Rahul Gandhi. This year, Rahul Gandhi is contesting from Rae Bareli after Sonia Gandhi became a Rajya Sabha MP, and Kishori Lal Sharma, a close aide to the Gandhi family, is running from Amethi.

The Congress has entered a seat-sharing alliance with the Samajwadi Party, led by Akhilesh Yadav, as part of the Opposition’s INDIA bloc. Party workers are hopeful that this coalition will improve their chances of securing more seats in the state.