The second round of the Lok Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh will see polling on eight seats, all of which, barring one, were won by the BJP in 2019.
Among the big names in the fray are television actor Arun Govil in Meerut seat who played perhaps the most recognisable Lord Ram on the small screen. Govil might be a popular face- especially given his recent prominence during and after the pran pratishtha of the new Ram temple - but the fact that he has replaced a three-time winning candidate has not gone well with the party’s supporters. It has not helped that Govil has made some utterly ill-informed statements about issues such as the amendment of the Constitution.
Another seat where the BJP might face anger from traditional supporters is Ghaziabad, the seat from which General VK Singh won last time. It is worth mentioning that Rajputs have expressed their anger against the BJP this election, and the denial of a ticket to Singh might exacerbate that.
From Mathura, actor Hema Malini is seeking a third term. Her daughters appeared on the campaign trail to give it a final push. Malini’s wins in 2014 and 2019 came against candidates fielded by the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) which is a BJP ally in this election.
The Congress had won from Amroha in 2019. Both Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi have campaigned for this winning candidate- Danish Ali, while the BJP has reposed its hope in Kanwar Singh Tanwar- who won the seat in 2014.
Gautam Budh Nagar is another seat where BJP is eyeing a third term. Ditto in Bulansher where its candidate is Bhola Singh. Here BSP has pitted Girish Chandra, its MP from Nagina, who could upset some calculations.
#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh: BJP candidate from Bulandshahr Lok Sabha seat, Bhola Singh casts his vote at a polling booth in Bulandshahr.
— ANI (@ANI) April 26, 2024
Uttar Pradesh is voting on 8 seats today in the second phase of Lok Sabha elections. #LokSabhaElections2024 pic.twitter.com/ihjRmGZfaZ
For the RLD, the seat of greatest prestige is Baghpat- which was won by the BJP in 2014 and 2019. While Chaudhary Charan Singh had won the seat in 1977, 1980 and 1984; Ajit Singh also represented the seat thrice. The seat has gone to the RLD after the party’s tie-up with the BJP; and instead of the two-time winner Satya Pal Singh; Rajkumar Sangwan is the candidate.
