With the counting of votes scheduled for today in the Lok Sabha elections, which have recorded the highest voter turnout in history, the electoral fate of several prominent leaders across the political spectrum will soon be determined.
Among those in the fray are senior BJP leaders such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Key opposition figures, including former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, NCP’s Supriya Sule, and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, are also contesting the polls.
Here is a look at some key contests involving these prominent leaders:
1. Narendra Modi: Prime Minister Modi is seeking a third term from Varanasi, the constituency that first brought him to the Lok Sabha after his tenure as Chief Minister. He is up against Congress leader and INDIA bloc candidate Ajay Rai. Modi won the seat by substantial margins in both 2014 and 2019.
2. Amit Shah: The Union Home Minister, who entered the Lok Sabha in 2019 from Gandhinagar, is seeking his second consecutive term from this seat, traditionally held by BJP veterans. Shah faces Congress candidate Sonal Patel.
3. Rahul Gandhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is contesting from two seats, Wayanad and Raebareli. After losing the family stronghold of Amethi in 2019, he entered the Lok Sabha from Wayanad. Gandhi aims to retain the party’s last bastion in the state, facing BJP’s Dinesh Pratap Singh and K. Surendran, as well as CPI-M’s Annie Raja in Wayanad.
4. Supriya Sule and Sunetra Pawar: The Baramati constituency will decide the future of the ‘Pawar’ legacy. NCP supremo Sharad Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule is competing against his cousin Ajit Pawar’s wife, Sunetra Pawar. Exit polls predict a tight contest.
5. Shashi Tharoor: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, a three-time MP from Thiruvananthapuram, faces a three-way contest against BJP’s Rajeev Chandrasekhar and CPI-M’s Panniyan Ravindran. Exit polls suggest a close race.
6. K. Annamalai: BJP Tamil Nadu chief and emerging southern leader K. Annamalai is aiming to make significant inroads for the party in the state. Contesting from Coimbatore, the former cop faces DMK leader Ganapathy P Rajkumar and AIADMK’s Singai Ramachandran.
7. Rajnath Singh: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh seeks a third term from Lucknow. The former Uttar Pradesh CM, who served as Home Minister in the BJP’s first term and Defence Minister in the second term, is up against SP candidate Ravidas Mehrotra and BSP candidate Sarwar Malik.
8. Abhishek Banerjee: As the BJP seeks to expand its presence in West Bengal, TMC aims to maintain its stronghold. TMC general secretary and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew, Abhishek Banerjee, is contesting from Diamond Harbour, seeking a second term. He faces CPI(M) candidate Pratikur Rahaman and BJP’s Abhijit Das.
9. Akhilesh Yadav: Former Uttar Pradesh CM and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav made a surprise entry in the Lok Sabha polls, announcing his candidature from Kannauj. Yadav, who is an MLA from Karhal assembly constituency, is up against incumbent MP and BJP leader Subrat Pathak.
10. Asaduddin Owaisi: The Hyderabad constituency is set for a major showdown with four-time MP and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi facing BJP candidate and actor-turned-politician Madhavi Latha.
The Lok Sabha elections for 543 seats of the lower house were held across seven phases. The counting of votes will take place today, Tuesday, June 4.