Congress candidate Kishori Lal Sharma, who is leading BJP’s Smriti Irani in Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi, expressed gratitude to the voters of the constituency and the Gandhi family for their support.

Speaking to reporters in Amethi, Sharma said, “I would like to thank the people of Amethi and the Gandhi family.”

“However, let the counting conclude. We will talk after that,” he added.

As per the latest trends by the Election Commission of India (ECI), Sharma is leading by 62,358 votes, with BJP’s Irani trailing behind.

Amethi is one of the most closely-watched seats among the 543 Lok Sabha constituencies. The exit polls had predicted a tough fight between Irani and Sharma.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Irani had defeated Congress candidate Rahul Gandhi from Amethi, which had been a Congress bastion for several years.

In Uttar Pradesh – the state with the highest number of constituencies – the Samajwadi Party (SP) is ahead in 35 seats while the BJP is leading in 34 seats, a significant decline from the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

The Congress is leading in seven seats, as per the latest trends by the Election Commission.