The fourth phase of polling in 13 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh on May 13 will be crucial for the ruling BJP.
With the entry of stalwart SP president Akhilesh Yadav from Kannauj, the upcoming fourth phase of polling in 13 Lok Sabha seats in UP on May 13 holds significant importance, especially considering the BJP’s sweeping victory in these constituencies during the 2019 polls.
Now in 2024, it will be a herculean task for the BJP to retain these seats, especially since in most places, BJP candidates are aiming for a hat-trick of victories in the upcoming polls.
Mishrikh: Starting from the lesser-known Mishrikh Lok Sabha seat going to polls in the 4th phase, the BJP has once again nominated Ashok Rawat, the current MP from the Misrikh region, as its candidate. Ashok Rawat contested elections from the Misrikh parliamentary constituency in 2004 and 2009 on a Bahujan Samaj Party ticket before winning in 2019 on a BJP ticket and securing a seat in Parliament.
This time, Ashok Rawat is contesting against SP candidate Sangeeta Rajvanshi and BSP candidate BR Ahirwar. The elections in Misrikh have revolved around the caste equations and the implementation of various schemes by the central government.
Hardoi: The BJP is making a bid for a hat-trick on this seat by fielding MP Jai Prakash once again. If Jai Prakash wins this time, he will go to Parliament for a record fifth time. Having previously served as an MP from the BJP in 1991, 1996, and 2019, as well as representing the Congress in 1999, Jai Prakash is now eyeing a record fifth victory.
The opposition has laid a tight cordon to block his path as the SP has fielded Usha Verma, who has been MP thrice, while the BSP has fielded Bhimrao Ambedkar.
Dhaurahra: Rekha Verma, the national vice president of the BJP and co-incharge of Uttarakhand, is once again contesting from here on the party ticket. This marks her third consecutive candidacy for the seat.
On the other hand, former MLC of Sitapur Anand Singh Bhadauria, one of the close confidants of Akhilesh Yadav from SP, is in the fray. The BSP has fielded Shyam Kishore Awasthi, who had rebelled against the BJP. Caste equations will dominate and Brahmin voters will play a decisive role.
Kannauj: The electoral race has become more complicated with the entry of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav into the political arena of the perfume city.
There is a direct fight between Akhilesh and BJP MP Subrat Pathak, who defeated Akhilesh’s wife Dimple Yadav in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, in this seat. The BSP has also prepared the ground for a triangular contest by fielding Imran Bin Zafar.
After wrapping up the election campaign for Mainpuri candidate Dimple Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav has been regularly camping in Kannauj, engaging in door-to-door campaigning. On May 10, Akhilesh Yadav held a joint rally here along with Rahul Gandhi and AAP leader Sanjay Singh.
PM Modi has already addressed a rally in Kannauj.
Unnao: The BJP has made Dr Sachchidanand Hari Sakshi Maharaj its candidate for the third time. He has represented the seat as an MP in 2014 and 2019. The SP has declared former Congress MP Annu Tandon as its candidate.
At the same time, along with betting on Ashok Pandey, the BSP is banking on the Brahmin factor within its cadre for the fourth consecutive time. The SP currently finds itself free from the worries of dispersion of votes after its alliance with the Congress.
After becoming SP’s state president from the Pal community, he is claiming to have established himself in a strong position among Pal voters. Here, apart from nationalism, Ram Mandir, and government schemes, it is being claimed that the candidate’s homogeneous vote bank will support the BJP.
Kanpur: The mood in the Kanpur Lok Sabha constituency has changed after the visits of Union Minister Amit Shah, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
A direct contest is evident here between BJP candidate Ramesh Awasthi and Congress candidate Alok Mishra. BSP’s Kuldeep Singh Bhadauria is also registering his presence in many areas. This contest is likely to be interesting.
Shahjahanpur: The BJP has fielded MP Arun Sagar, SP Jyotsna Gond, and BSP Dodram Verma in this seat. The BJP, which won two past elections, is aiming for a third consecutive victory. The SP has been aiming to secure victory since 2009. BSP, too, wants to open its account here.
The Shahjahanpur seat is also being linked to the prestige of three state ministers. This is the reason why Finance Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna himself has taken the command. Public Works Minister Jitin Prasad and Minister of State for Cooperation JPS Rathore also hail from this district. SP candidate Jyotsna Gond is a native of Hardoi. Her election campaign is commanded by her uncle Rajpal Kashyap, who is a former MLC from the SP.
Akbarpur: There is a direct contest between the BJP and SP in the Akbarpur Lok Sabha constituency. Current BJP MP Devendra Singh Bhole is in the fray for the third time, while SP has expressed confidence in former MP Rajaram Pal. Bhole gained strength from the roadshow of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the strategy meeting of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
BJP MLA Abhijeet Singh Sanga, who previously stood in protest, has also joined him. Rajaram Pal, contesting from the SP, reached Parliament by winning from here in 2009. BSP’s Rajesh Dwivedi is contributing to a triangular contest.
Bahraich: The BJP has nominated Dr Anand Gond, the son of current MP Akshayvar Lal Gond, as its candidate. The SP has fielded former MLA Ramesh Gautam against him, while Birjesh Sonkar is in the fray from the BSP. Due to the works of the Modi government, coupled with the Ram temple construction, it has maintained its place in the minds of people.
The Samajwadi Party is banking on garnering support from Muslims, Yadavs, and Scheduled and Backward Classes. He is also getting the support of Congressmen. The BSP’s effort is focused on making a dent in the votes of the deprived class and bringing Muslims into its fold. However, this effort of the BSP seems challenging. However, the contest is interesting and the picture will become clear only after the results are declared.
Etawah: BJP candidate in Etawah Prof. Ramshankar Katheria is locked in a triangular contest. There has been a change in the electoral atmosphere after the visits of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in the election campaign. People have started debating on those issues which were raised prominently by the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister.
SP’s Jitendra Dohra is currently campaigning with the help of local leaders. At the same time, BSP candidate Sarika Singh Baghel is trying to make the contest triangular on the basis of the party’s core voters. To stop the hat-trick win of the BJP, the SP has adopted the formula of PDA, i.e. Backward, Dalit, Minority. This seat has the highest number of voters from the deprived and backward classes.
Lakhimpur: The contest for the Lakhimpur seat is primarily between two contenders. Ajay Kumar Mishra Teni, representing the BJP and also serving as the Union Minister of State for Home, is seeking re-election for the third time. He faces competition from SP candidate Utkarsh Verma, as the SP has been striving to reclaim this seat over the last four elections. On the other hand, the Bahujan Samaj Party has fielded a young candidate, Anshay Singh Kalra.
Alongside the implementation of central government schemes, the caste equation is poised to be a significant factor here. If the BJP has confidence in its plans, the SP and BSP candidates are also putting in full efforts.
Farrukhabad: In this parliamentary seat, apart from the Rajput and OBC communities, Lodhs and Yadavs, as well as Brahmin voters, play a decisive role. Mukesh Rajput, two-time MP from BJP, is once again in the fray. Samajwadi Party has fielded Dr Naval Kishore Shakya against him.
The BSP has registered its presence by fielding Kranti Pandey as a Brahmin face, although the party has not yet been able to enjoy the electoral environment. This time, discussions centre around the central government schemes, Article 370, and the construction of the Ram Temple. To counter this move of the BJP, the Samajwadi Party has given the slogan of PDA (Backward, Dalit, Minority).
Sitapur: The candidates here include BJP’s Rajesh Verma, BSP’s Mahendra Singh Yadav, and Congress’s Rakesh Rathore. Incidentally, all three candidates were in the BJP in the last Lok Sabha elections and are contesting against each other this time.
Rajesh Verma has been elected MP four times. He was elected MP from the BSP in 1999 and 2004 and from the BJP in 2014 and 2019. This time, he has the challenge of scoring a hat-trick. They have confidence in Modi’s guarantee and the traditional votes of the BJP.
Congress candidate Rakesh Rathore is expected to get SP’s Yadav-Muslim votes along with his ethnic votes. BSP candidate Mahendra Singh Yadav is hopeful of victory on the basis of polarisation of Yadav votes in addition to the party’s vote bank and Muslim and Pasi voters.