Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav — Top 5 Lok Sabha 2024 Candidates Leading Charge In Crucial UP Battle
Uttar Pradesh is pivotal for any party aiming to lead the government at the Centre. Among the high-profile candidates, here are five who are in the spotlight.
Uttar Pradesh, a crucial battleground with 80 seats at stake, wrapped up its voting for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The state is pivotal for any party aiming to lead the government at the Centre. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third term from Varanasi, while Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is contesting from Rae Bareli. Smriti Irani is attempting to reclaim Amethi. Among the high-profile candidates, here are five who are in the spotlight:
Narendra Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi contested from Varanasi for the third consecutive time, after his successful bids in 2014 and 2019. In 2014, Modi defeated Arvind Kejriwal with a margin of 3,37,000 votes. His victory in 2019 was even more decisive, surpassing Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samaj Party Mahagathbandhan candidate Shalini Yadav by 4,80,000 votes. This time, Modi faced six contenders, including Ajay Rai from Congress and Kolisetty Shiva Kumar from Yuga Thulasi Party.
Rahul Gandhi
Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi contested from Rae Bareli, a seat held by his mother until February. Rae Bareli has been a Congress stronghold since 1952, except for three elections. Rahul Gandhi also contested from Kerala's Wayanad, which went to polls on April 26. Opting out of a rematch with BJP minister Smriti Irani in Amethi, Rahul Gandhi aimed to become the fourth Gandhi to represent Rae Bareli, facing BJP's Dinesh Pratap Singh.
Smriti Irani
Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani contested from Amethi where she had previously defeated Rahul Gandhi in 2019. The Amethi seat, long a Gandhi family bastion, saw Irani face Kishori Lal Sharma, a Gandhi family loyalist. Sharma was chosen after Priyanka Gandhi Vadra decided not to contest and Rahul Gandhi shifted to Rae Bareli.
Akhilesh Yadav
Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav contested from the Kannauj Lok Sabha constituency. Yadav had won the Kannauj seat in 2000, 2004, and 2009. He, while filing his nomination papers, assured voters he would complete unfinished projects and bring unity to Kannauj. The seat holds significance for socialist parties, having won by Ram Manohar Lohia in 1967 and SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav in 1999.
Dimple Yadav
Samajwadi Party retained sitting MP Dimple Yadav for the Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat. Yadav, wife of Akhilesh Yadav, won the seat by over 2,80,000 votes in the 2022 byelection. The seat was previously held by Mulayam Singh Yadav, who passed away in October. Dimple Yadav's political journey began in 2009, and she returned to the Lok Sabha from Mainpuri in 2022 after losing Kannauj in 2019.
Uttar Pradesh featured several other notable candidates. Meerut, with a major Muslim vote base, saw BJP's Arun Govil, famed for his role as Lord Ram in the TV serial 'Ramayan', contest after replacing Rajendra Agrawal. Rajnath Singh contested from Lucknow for the third time, a seat once held by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Ravi Kishan, representing Gorakhpur, aimed for another term from his constituency. Votes are to be counted on June 4.
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