In just few hours the counting of votes of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 will begin which will be a deciding factor for several political leaders from several parties.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, are among the prominent BJP figures vying for re-election. Opposition stalwarts such as former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, NCP’s Supriya Sule, and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav are also in the fray.
Here’s a glimpse of some key electoral battles involving notable personalities:
1. Narendra Modi: Seeking a third term from Varanasi, PM Modi faces Congress leader Ajay Rai. Having won by significant margins in 2014 and 2019, Modi aims to secure another victory from this crucial constituency.
2. Amit Shah: The Union Home Minister, contesting from Gandhinagar, is up against Congress candidate Sonal Patel as he seeks his second consecutive term.
3. Rahul Gandhi: Contesting from Wayanad and Raebareli, Rahul Gandhi aims to hold onto the party’s stronghold in these areas. His opponents include 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 witnesses a significant contest between NCP’s Supriya Sule and Sunetra Pawar, Ajit Pawar’s wife, marking a crucial moment for the Pawar family’s legacy.
5. Shashi Tharoor: Three-time MP from Thiruvananthapuram, Tharoor faces tough competition from BJP’s Rajeev Chandrasekhar and CPI-M’s Panniyan Ravindran.
6. K. Annamalai: BJP’s Tamil Nadu chief is contesting from Coimbatore against DMK’s Ganapathy P Rajkumar and AIADMK’s Singai Ramachandran.
7. Rajnath Singh: Seeking a third term from Lucknow, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh faces challenges from SP’s Ravidas Mehrotra and BSP’s Sarwar Malik.
8. Abhishek Banerjee: TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee contests from Diamond Harbour against CPI(M) candidate Pratikur Rahaman and BJP’s Abhijit Das.
9. Akhilesh Yadav: Former UP CM Akhilesh Yadav contests from Kannauj against BJP’s Subrat Pathak.
10. Asaduddin Owaisi: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi faces BJP’s Madhavi Latha in Hyderabad.
The Lok Sabha elections, conducted in seven phases, culminate in the counting of votes on June 4. The BJP seeks a third term in power, while the Opposition under the INDIA bloc aims to challenge their dominance.
Exit polls predict a BJP resurgence, potentially expanding their influence in Odisha, West Bengal, and southern states.