As per early trends based on the data available on the Election Commission’s website, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is leading in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi constituency with 12000 votes after trailing for a brief period. Congress candidate Ajay Rai is however the second lead.
Also Read: Uttar Pradesh election results 2024 updates
The Varanasi Lok Sabha seat is one of the most important constituencies among the total of 543 parliamentary seats with Mr. Modi aiming for a third consecutive victory since choosing it as a launchpad in 2014 as the Prime Ministerial candidate of the BJP.
In 2019, the Prime Minister polled 6,74,664 votes, which is roughly 63% of the total votes polled, as his nearest rival Shalini Yadav of the Samajwadi Party (SP) secured 1,95,159 votes with the PM emerging victorious by over 4,78,000 votes. On the other hand, Mr. Rai who contested as a Congress candidate, polled 1,52,548 votes. He had also contested the 2014 Lok Sabha polls against Mr. Modi and came third polling 75,614 votes.
Also Read: Election Results 2024 updates
Who is Ajay Rai?
Mr. Rai, who is also the Uttar Pradesh Congress president had begun his political journey with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and went on to be elected to the UP Assembly three times — in 1996, 2002 and 2007 from the Kolasla seat in Varanasi. However, his departure from the saffron party was preceded by the denial of a Lok Sabha ticket in 2009. Mr. Rai then contested from Varanasi on a Samajwadi Party (SP) ticket, but lost.
He joined the Congress in 2012 and went on to win the newly-formed Pindra seat in Varanasi. In 2014, he was pitted against the Prime Minister for the first time but finished third behind Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s chief Arvind Kejriwal. The five-time MLA has throughout held significant organisational responsibilities in the Congress. Notably, he has been booked in 18 criminal cases so far.
Also Read: Ajay Rai: Modi real threat to country, will defeat him
While campaigning for the elections, Mr. Rai pushed the ‘migrant’ or ‘outsider’ narrative claiming that only if the ‘outsider’ is shown the exit door would the ‘Ganga-Jamuni culture of Kashi’ be saved. “Modiji writes letters to 2,000 people of Varanasi asking for votes. When thousands of people died during the coronavirus period, then why did Modiji not send a letter of condolence,” he asked in one of his public meetings.
