LS polls: In U.P., PM, 2 union mins among those in fray in last phase

PM Modi, Union ministers, and former U.P. ministers are contesting from Varanasi, Chandauli, Mirzapur, and Ballia in the last phase of general election on June 1.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, two Union ministers and two former U.P. ministers are among those in the fray from four Lok Sabha seats of Varanasi, Chandauli, Mirzapur and Ballia districts out of 13 constituencies of the state going to polls in the seventh and last phase of general election on June 1.

PM Narendra Modi is seeking third consecutive term in Lok Sabha from Varanasi. (HT file)

Campaigning for the last phase of polls ended on Thursday. PM Narendra Modi is seeking a third successive term in Lok Sabha from Varanasi. Ajay Rai is the Congress candidate from here. Union minister Mahendra Nath Pandey is the BJP candidate from Chandauli seat where he is facing former minister Veerendra Singh of the Samajwadi Party.

Union minister Anupriya Patel is in the fray from Mirzapur as Apna Dal (S) candidate. Patel is the president of Apna Dal (S). Ramesh Chandra Bind is the SP candidate from the seat.

In Ballia, the BJP has fielded Neeraj Shekhar, the son of former PM the late Chandra Shekhar. Sanatan Pandey is contesting as the Samajwadi Party candidate here.

Polling in Maharajganj, Gorakhpur, Kushinagar, Deoria, Bansgaon, Ghosi, Salempur, Ballia, Ghazipur, Chandauli, Varanasi, Mirzapur and Robertsganj is scheduled for the last phase.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav sought people’s votes and support for opposition INDIA bloc candidates. Counting of votes will take place on June 4.