Congress candidate from Amethi constituency Kishori Lal Sharma celebrates with others as he leads in the Lok Sabha elections on the day of the counting of votes, in Amethi, Tuesday, June 4, 2024.
Credit: PTI Photo
Lucknow: They were all pitted against union ministers and powerful BJP leaders and not many, not even their own parties, imagined that they could cause such a big upset but they proved everyone wrong.
Samajwadi Party candidates, Ram Bhual Nishad, Utkarsh Verma, Harendra Malik, Naresh Uttam Patel, Narayan Das Ahirwar, R.K.Choudhary, and also Kishori Lal Sharma of Congress have emerged as the 'giant slayers' in Uttar Pradesh, defeating their BJP rivals -- all of whom, save one, were union ministers.
Nishad defeated former union minister and six time BJP MP Maneka Gandhi on Sultanpur LS seat by 34 thousand votes.
SP nominee Naresh Uttam Patel defeated union minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti on Fatehpur LS seat by over 35 thousand votes.
Controversial union minister of state for home Ajay Kumar Mishra alias Teni Mishra, whose son had allegedly mowed down four farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri district during a farmers’ protest a few years back, lost to SP candidate Utkarsh Verma by over 30 thousand votes.
SP nominee Harendra Malik defeated union minister Sanjiv Baliyan on Muzaffarnagar LS seat while Narayan Das Ahirwar defeated union minister Bhanu Pratap Verma on Jaluan LS seat.
SP candidate R.K.Choudhary pipped BJP nominee and union minister Kaushal Kishore on Mohanlalganj LS seat.
Congress candidate and Gandhi family confidante Kishori Lal Sharma caused the biggest upset by defeating union minister Smriti Irani by over 1.30 lakh votes in Amethi.