Exit poll: Close fight between Smriti Irani, KL Sharma in Amethi? What about Rahul Gandhi in Wayanad?
Union minister Smriti Irani and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi are expected to retain their Amethi and Wayanad Lok Sabha seats, respectively, in the general elections, according to Today-Axis My India exit polls.
However, the Amethi contest is expected to be close as Smriti Irani faces off against Congress candidate KL Sharma, the exit poll claimed.
The counting of votes for the Lok Sabha polls 2024 will be held on Tuesday, June 4.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Smriti Irani secured a significant victory in Amethi, a constituency long considered a stronghold of the Gandhi family, defeating Rahul Gandhi, who had held the seat for 15 years. Smriti Irani defeated the former Congress president by a margin of 55,120 votes. In their first electoral battle in 2014, Rahul Gandhi had emerged victorious against the Bharatiya Janata Party leader.
In Wayanad, Rahul Gandhi is strongly positioned to win a consecutive term in the Lok Sabha elections, India Today-Axis My India exit poll predicted.
The exit poll indicates that Rahul Gandhi has an advantage over BJP candidate and state party chief K Surendran. Another contender in the race is veteran CPI leader Annie Raja.
India Today reported that this prediction was based on extensive data comprising 5.8 lakh interviews conducted across all 543 parliamentary constituencies.
While Rahul Gandhi also contested from Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat, the Congress had fielded Gandhi family’s close aide KL Sharma from Amethi to take on Smriti Irani.
Political observers said Priyanka Gandhi Vadra took on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and countered his attacks on the Congress during her whirlwind campaign. She campaigned in 16 states and one Union territory. Priyanka Gandhi also addressed two conferences of thousands of workers in Amethi and Rae Bareli.
The Amethi seat comprises five assembly segments, including Tiloi, Salon, Jagdishpur, Gauriganj, and Amethi.
The constituency is a general seat. Voting for the Amethi seat was held in the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2024 on May 20.
During the election camapigns, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had promised that he would treat Amethi and Rae Bareli equally when it came to development if his party came to power at the Centre.
Rahul Gandhi contested the Lok Sabha poll from Rae Bareli, replacing his mother Sonia Gandhi.