In a dramatic flip of occasions, the electoral panorama of Amethi, as soon as thought of the impregnable bastion of the Indian National Congress and the Gandhi household, finds itself on the centre of a fiercely contested battle. The seismic shift started in 2019 when Smriti Irani, the candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), delivered a powerful blow to the entrenched dominance of the Gandhis by clinching victory towards Rahul Gandhi. This historic upset shattered long-standing political conventions and ignited a brand new period of electoral competitiveness in the area. As the nation finds itself amidst one other spherical of Lok Sabha elections, all eyes are as soon as once more mounted on Amethi, the place the enduring legacy of political dynasties collides head-on with the winds of change.
Rajiv Gandhi’s saga of Amathi
The then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, getting into the political footwear of his late brother Sanjay Gandhi, held a revered standing among the many individuals of Amethi. Throughout his tenure, he proved to be an indomitable pressure in the electoral area, sustaining a stronghold over the constituency. From 1981 till his tragic demise in 1991, Rajiv Gandhi served because the Member of Parliament for Amethi. Even in the ultimate election earlier than his assassination, he secured nearly 54 per cent of the votes, leaving his closest competitor far behind with a mere 22 per cent. Amethi, the place Gandhi launched into his political journey, remained its steadfast companion till the very finish, witnessing his victory in 4 consecutive elections.
1991 Lok Sabha polls and Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination
During the 1991 common elections, a fierce competitors unfolded between Rajiv Gandhi of the Congress get together and Ravindra Pratap Singh of the BJP on May 20. Tragically, on May 21, throughout an election rally in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, Rajiv Gandhi fell sufferer to an LTTE suicide bomber. Despite this devastating flip of occasions, when the votes had been tallied, Rajiv Gandhi emerged victorious with 53.23 per cent of the votes, whereas Ravindra Pratap Singh garnered 21.35 per cent. Rajiv Gandhi’s victory margin stood at a powerful 1,12,085 votes.
Bypoll in Amethi after Raji Gandhi’s demise
After the unlucky demise of Rajiv Gandhi, a bypoll was necessitated in the Amethi constituency. In this bypoll, the Congress get together fielded Satish Sharma towards BJP’s MM Singh. Following the electoral course of, Sharma emerged victorious with 53.88 per cent of the votes, whereas Singh secured 24 per cent. Sharma acquired a complete of 178,996 votes, whereas Singh garnered 79,687 votes. Additionally, unbiased candidate R Singh managed to build up 47,033 votes.
