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Lok Sabha elections 2019: Congress’s Kirti Azad in tough fight with BJP’s Singh
Congress’s Kirti Azad is up against a strong BJP candidate Pashupati Nath Singh, who in 2014 polled 5,43,941 votes, which was more than all the opposition candidates combined.
The contest in Dhanbad Lok Sabha constituency took an interesting turn with the Congress fielding BJP rebel Kirti Azad from this seat, one of Jharkhand’s 14 seats.
He is up against a strong BJP candidate Pashupati Nath Singh, who in 2014 polled 5,43,941 votes, which was more than all the opposition candidates combined, including All Jharkhand Students Union party, which is in alliance with BJP this time. Singh defeated his closest rival of the Congress with close to three lakh votes.
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Azad who represents Bihar’s Darbhanga In Lok Sabha recently quit the BJP to join Congress and is contesting first time from Jharkhand. He was earlier an MLA from Delhi’s Gole Market seat.
The seat, which covers six assembly segments – Bokaro, Sindri, Nirsa, Dhanbad, Jharia and Chandankiyari -- has been with the BJP since 1991, barring a term in 2004 when Congress’s Chandra Shekhar Dubey won from here.
Read: All about Jharkhand
Apart from Singh and Azad others in the fray are Madhvi Singh of All India Trinamool Congress, Meghnath Rawani of Bahujan Samaj Party and Meraj Khan of Samajwadi Party .
Polling in Jharkhand will be held in four phases from April 29 to May 19. Votes will be counted on May 23.
Here are a few details about the Dhanbad Lok Sabha seat:
State: Jharkhand
Name of the Lok Sabha constituency: Dhanbad
Polling date: May 12
2019 candidates: Pashupati Nath Singh (BJP), Kirti Azad (Congress)
Sitting MP, party: Pashupati Nath Singh (BJP)
Winning margin in 2014: 292, 954
Runner up name, party: Ajay Kumar Dubey, Congress
Number of voters in 2014: 1,143,945
Percentage of votes polled in 2014: 60.52
Number of women voters in 2014: 501,258
Number of polling booths in 2014: 2,240
