Lok Sabha polls: Who are key faces in Uttar Pradesh
India's most populous state, Uttar Pradesh (UP), is preparing for the upcoming general elections. The state, which contributes the highest number of MPs (80) to the Lok Sabha, will vote in seven phases from April 19 to June 1, while the results will be declared on June 4. Here is a look at the key faces and constituencies in Uttar Pradesh.
Key alliances and candidates for 2024 elections
The most prominent candidate is Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will be contesting from Varanasi again. He secured the constituency for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2019 election by a significant margin of 4,79,505 ballots against Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate Shalini Yadav. Other key candidates include Dimple Yadav, the sitting MP from Mainpuri and wife of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, who is running again from the constituency. The BJP has fielded Jaiveer Singh Thakur against her.
Union minister Rajnath Singh will contest from Lucknow
Similarly, Union Minister Rajnath Singh will contest from Lucknow again. The seat has been a BJP stronghold since 1991. Singh, Lucknow's sitting MP, will be contested by the SP's Ravidas Mehrotra and the Bahujan Samaj Party's Sarvar Malik. From Sultanpur, the BJP has retained Maneka Gandhi, while her son Varun Gandhi has been denied a ticket in Pilibhit. This time, UP minister Jitin Prasada is the BJP's candidate for the Rohilkhand district of Pilibhit.
Smriti Irani will be fighting from Amethi
For the Amethi seat, the BJP has fielded Union Minister Smriti Irani again. She emerged as a giant killer in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls after defeating Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. While the Congress has yet to select a candidate, Robert Vadra had expressed interest in running for the seat. "For years... the Gandhi family worked hard in Raebareli...But now people of Amethi are troubled by [Irani]. They believe they made a mistake by electing her," he said recently.
Candidates for Raebareli not yet announced
Raebareli, like Amethi, is a major constituency in Uttar Pradesh. It was the only seat won by the Congress in 2019. However, its sitting MP, Sonia Gandhi, has moved to the Rajya Sabha. Both the Congress and the BJP have yet to declare their candidates for the high-profile seat. While Priyanka Gandhi's name has been circulated, the Congress has yet to present its cards.
Key alliances for 2024 elections
For the upcoming elections, the BJP has formed alliances with several parties, including Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), Apna Dal (S), Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), and Nirbal Indian Shoshit Hamara Aam Dal (NISHAD). The BSP is running independently, while the SP has teamed up with Congress. The SP-Congress alliance aims to unite Dalits, Other Backward Classes (OBCs), and Muslims against the BJP's Hindutva agenda.
Previous election results and seat distribution
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP emerged victorious with a majority of 62 seats out of UP's 80. The BSP secured 10 seats, while the SP and Congress won five and one seat, respectively. The BJP's ally, Apna Dal (Sonelal), clinched two seats. Notably, Uttar Pradesh has given India the highest number of prime ministers—eight in total. This figure is four times more than the number of prime ministers from Madhya Pradesh, which ranks second with two.
