People of Amethi wanted development: Smriti Irani on her win over Rahul

New Delhi, May 24: Union minister Smriti Irani, who emerged as a giant-killer by dealing a shock defeat to Congress president Rahul Gandhi in Amethi, said on Friday that her win was not a "rocket science" as people of the Lok Sabha constituency wanted a representative who would work for them for the next five years.

Her victory was due to the development agenda of the Modi government, she said, adding that people of Amethi had reposed their trust in her by voting in large numbers for the BJP in 2014 and that she worked in the past five years to keep their faith. Irani had put up a strong fight in 2014 but lost to Gandhi.

The BJP fielded her again in this general election in which she trounced him by over 55,000 votes in his family pocket borough. Asked about her big win, she told TV channels that it was not a rocket science as people of Amethi wanted development and a representative who could work for them for the next five years. On the massive win of the BJP, which bagged 303 of 542 seats, she said it was because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's development agenda as he wanted people to judge his government on this.

The meaning of a people's representative has changed in the past five years, she said. Irani said she has already started working for Amethi and said the constituency lacks many facilities, as she took a jibe at Gandhi for not working for its development. The BJP governments at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh have been working for development of the constituency, she said.

PTI