"This is the victory of the public," says KL Sharma after defeating Smriti Irani

New Delhi [India], June 5 (ANI): Kishori Lal Sharma, the Congress' newly elected Member of Parliament from a high profile seat of Amethi regarded his victory as the public's victory.
Speaking with ANI, the newly elected MP said, "I have won this seat and this is the victory of the public."
Responding to Smriti Irani's remarks that 'Josh is still high', Sharma said, "Winning and losing always goes on as if we are contesting elections on the same seat, one has to win while the other will face defeat. If someone says that their enthusiasm is still high, even after the defeat, it is a good thing."
He further said, "People have voted on the issues of unemployment, farmers' income, inflation, etc. They have chosen me as their MP, I will work towards their welfare."
On Wednesday morning, while returning to Amethi, Sharma conveyed, "I came here to submit Rahul Gandhi's winning certificate and I had to take blessings of Sonia Gandhi Ji.
He added further, "Senior leaders of the party asked me to stay humble, just as I am. They guided me to be respectful towards everyone. Just because I have become MP, I should not be egoist about it.
"Asserting that he would work for everyone, irrespective of whether people voted for him or not, Sharma said, "I am everyone's MP and I will work for everyone. When one wins, then responsibilities also fall on one's shoulders. And I will fulfill that responsibility. When I will work together with the people, I will be successful. I will listen to what they want and I will never make any plans without involving the people of Amethi."
Notably, KL Sharma defeated Smriti Irani with a margin of 1,67,196 votes. Sharma secured 5,39,228 votes while Irani garnered 3,72,032 votes.
Declaration of results of the 18th Lok Sabha election in the 543-member Parliament saw the BJP-led NDA winning 294 seats and the INDIA bloc bagging 234 seats. A party or coalition requires a simple majority of 272 seats to form the government.
According to the Election Commission of India, the BJP won 240 seats, much lower than its 2019 tally of 303. The Congress, on the other hand, registered a strong growth, winning 99 seats.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has secured a third term, but the BJP is relying on the support of other parties in his coalition - JD (U) chief Nitish Kumar and TDP's chief Chandrababu Naidu, as it needs 32 seats to reach the 272 majority mark.
For the first time, since the Bharatiya Janata Party swept to power in 2014, it did not secure a majority on its own -- far fewer than the record 303 it won in the 2019 election. (ANI)