Overall 49 seats across 6 states and 2 union territories will exercise their right to franchise in this phase of general elections.
Apart from Raebareli, Amethi and Lucknow, the other seats of Uttar Pradesh voting on Monday, include Mohanlalganj, Hamirpur, Jalaun, Jhansi, Banda, Fatehpur, Kaushambhi, Faizabad, Barabanki, Kaiserganj and Gonda.
Also Read: Lok Sabha election 2024 Phase 5: Full list of 49 constituencies; key candidates here
All these 14 seats are considered significant for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as the saffron party would want to repeat its 2019 performance when it won 13 of them. The only seat that BJP lost in 2019 among the 14 was Raebareli seat which was by Congress’s Sonia Gandhi
Gandhi family bastions
Raebareli and Amethi are considered Gandhi family bastions. While Sonia Gandhi, the then Congress chief, won Raebareli last time, her son Rahul Gandhi lost from Amethi seat to Union Minister Smriti Irani.
This time Rahul Gandhi is contesting from Raebareli seat. The BJP has fielded state minister Dinesh Pratap Singh against Rahul Gandhi, who has also contested from Wayanad in Kerala.
From Amethi, the Congress has fielded long-time Gandhi family loyalist, KL Sharma against Smriti Irani.
The capital contest
In Lucknow, the Uttar Pradesh capital, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is seeking a third straight term. Singh is pitted against Ravidas Mehrotra of the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party’s (BSP) Sarwar Malik.
Lucknow seat, once represented by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, has been a BJP stronghold since 1991.
Also Read: ‘I am handing over my son to you, Rahul won’t disappoint you’: Sonia Gandhi makes emotional pitch in Raebareli
With 80 Lok Sabha seats at stake, Uttar Pradesh is key for BJP’s key for NDA’s 400 seat target. The BJP won 62 of these seats in 2019 and 71 in 2014 general elections. The Congress is contesting elections in UP in alliance with Samajwadi Party as part of India bloc.
As many as 41 seats of Uttar Pradesh will be voting in the remaining three phases of Lok Sabha Elections. Of these 14 seats each vote in the fifth and sixth phase on May 20 and 25. Thirteen remaining seats will vote in the last phase on June 1. Uttar Pradesh sends 80 members to Lok Sabha.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed seven rallies in UP on May 16 and 17 in UP.
Brij Bhushan’s son in the fray
Kaiserganj seat, represented by controversial MP and former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, is also voting in phase 5.
Lok Sabha Elections: 6 Mumbai seats to vote on May 20 — Check full list of candidates and who’s richest among them
The BJP has fielded Karan Bhushan Singh, the sitting MP’s son from the sea. He is pitted against Bhagat Ram Mishra of Samajwadi Party and Narendra Pandey of Bahujan Samaj Party. Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, facing serious allegations of sexually harassing women wrestlers, has actively campaigned for his son in the seat.
The campaigning for fifth phase of election will end on May 18.
379 seats sealed
The fate of 379 constituencies spread across 23 states and Union Territories is now decided after the commencement of polling in fourth phase on May 13. The remaining three phases of polling will be held on May 20, May 25 and June 1. The counting of votes for all seven phases of Lok Sabha Elections will take place on June 4.
The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which is seeking a record third term under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has set a target of winning 400 seats this election. The ruling alliance is challenged by the opposition parties led by the Congress under the banner of the INDIA bloc.
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Published: 18 May 2024, 07:00 AM IST