Lok Sabha Election Results 2024: Among the giant names of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi Cabinet that did not win the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 are Union ministers - Smriti Irani, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Ajay Kumar Mishra, Arjun Munda, RK Singh, Nishit Pramanik, Bhagwant Kuba, Mahendranath Pandey and Debashree Chaudhary.
One of the party’s senior-most leader and veteran politician- eight-time MP Maneka Gandhi also lost the elections. Nishit Pramanik, who was Minister of State-MoS (Home), was one of the party’s youngest ministers. While several sitting ministers faced defeat, the most crucial loss was that of Irani, who lost in Amethi to Congress’ Kishori Lal Sharma.
Congress candidate Kishori Lal Sharma emerged as a giant killer by defeating Union minister and BJP candidate Smriti Irani by a margin of over 1.67 votes from Amethi, the bastion of the Nehru-Gandhi family in Uttar Pradesh.
Smriti Irani
According to the Election Commission, Irani bagged 3,72,032 votes, while Sharma polled 5,39,228 votes. The BSP candidate got 34,534 votes. Reacting to his win, Sharma expressed his gratitude to the people of Amethi and the Congress party, saying the 18th Lok Sabha election in Amethi will be the biggest example of a strong and empowered democratic country. Speaking to media, Sharma said the political harmony of Amethi on the national stage and the beloved people of Amethi was very amazing, exemplary and at the peak.
"This victory is not of Kishori Lal Sharma, but of the entire Amethi family. I thank the people of Amethi, the Congress party, Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, and assure you all that I will always follow the orders, instructions and suggestions of the common people of Amethi. With dedication, sacrifice, love, affection and respect for all of you, I will continue to work in public interest with your support. Now, the relationship between the people and the public representative in Amethi is not only re-established with respect, but every Amethi resident will feel proud of this," Sharma said.
Meanwhile, speaking to media, Irani said, "I express special gratitude to all the supporters and workers of the BJP who served the party with full hard work and dedication. I got the privilege of fulfilling the 30-year-old demands of the Lok Sabha constituency, from the drains in the village to the bypass and medical college."
She expressed "special gratitude" to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for completing the work of 30 years in the short span of five years.
"I congratulate the Modi-Yogi government that won the elections. I hope that with the devotion we served the people by going to every village, Amethi will continue to be served in this way every day," she said.
Ajay Kumar Mishra
Another popular leader who lost was Ajay Kumar Mishra by 34,000 votes. His son had allegedly mowed down protesting farmers during the farmers’ protest.
RK Singh
Another senior leader that did not make it to the winners' list is Union power minister RK Singh, who lost from Buhar’s Arah by around 55,000 votes to CPIML’s Sudama Prasad.
Rajeev Chandrasekhar
In Kerala, IT minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar conceded defeat to Congress veteran Shashi Tharoor in what was a keenly-watched wrestle. “We have come very close and have set a record margin and vote share. It is disappointing that I couldn’t win today, but I fought a clean campaign,” Chandrasekhar told media. He lost by a little over 16,000 votes.
Arjun Munda
Tribal affairs minister Arjun Munda, one of the senior hands of the party and a key tribal face, lost Khunti in Jharkhand to Congress’ Kali Charan Munda with a margin of 1.45 lakh votes.
Bhagwanth Khuba
In Karnataka’s Bidar, Union minister of fertilisers Bhagwanth Khuba lost to Congress’ Sagar Eashwar Khadre by 1.28 lakh votes. In Uttar Pradesh’s Chandauli, Union minister of heavy industries
Mahendra Nath Pandey
Union Minister Mahendra Nath Pandey lost by around 21,000 votes to Samajwadi Party’s Bijendra Singh in Chandauli.
Other ministers
In battleground Bengal, two BJP Union ministers lost to the wrestle with Mamata Banerjee's party. Minister of state for women and child development Debashree Chaudhari lost from Kolkata Dakshin by around 1.8 lakh votes to Trinamool Congress’ (TMC) Mala Roy.
In Coochbehar, Minister of State (MoS) for Youth Affairs and Sports lost to TMC’s Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia by at least 39,000 votes.
ALSO READ: Suresh Gopi paves way for BJP in Kerala, wins Thrissur Lok Sabha seat in historic first
ALSO READ: Harsimrat Kaur Badal secures fourth consecutive Lok Sabha victory from Bathinda
