E-Paper
Lok Sabha elections 2019: Voting underway in 117 seats in 15 states, a quick take on 25 key constituencies
A total of 117 seats in 15 states and Union Territories are going to polls in the third phase.
A total of 117 seats in 15 states and Union Territories are voting in the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections today. Polling is underway in all 26 constituencies in Gujarat, all 20 seats in Kerala, 14 each in Maharashtra and Karnataka, 10 in Uttar Pradesh, seven in Chhattisgarh, six in Odisha, five each in Bihar and West Bengal, four in Assam, two in Goa, one each in Jammu and Kashmir, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu and Tripura.Here is a look at some of the main contests:
West Bengal
Jangipur
In the ring: Abhijit Mukherjee (Congress), Khalilur Rahaman (Trinamool), Zulfiqar Ali (Communist Party of India- Marxist), Mafuja Khatun (Bharatiya Janata Party).
Quick take: For Abhijit Mukherjee, the incumbent Congress MP and son of former President Pranab Mukherjee, the contest is likely to be a tough one as the Congress support base appears to have suffered further erosion since 2014 when Mukherjee won by 8,161 votes. BJP has fielded a woman, Mafuja Khatun, who rose from the ranks in the CPI (M), and enjoys popularity among the sizeable Muslim population in the constituency, a factor that has forced Trinamool and CPI(M) to field Muslim candidates.
2014 result: Abhijit Mukherjee (Congress) defeated Muzaffar Hussain (CPI-M) by 8161 votes.
Malda North
In the ring: Mausam Benazir Noor (Trinamool), Isha Khan Chowdhury (Congress), Biswanath Ghosh (Communist Party of India- Marxist), Khagen Murmu (Bharatiya Janata Party)
Quick take: As the niece of iconic Congress leader A B A Ghani Khan Chowdhury, a popular face in Indira Gandhi’s cabinet, Mausam Benazir Noor enjoyed the loyalty that voters in Malda have always shown to the Khan Chowdhury family. By switching over to the Trinamool Congress barely two months before the polls, the young MP may face a tough challenge in a bastion as her cousin Isha Khan Chowdhary is Congress candidate.
2014 result: Mausam Benazir Noor (Congress) defeated Khagen Murmu (CPI-M) by a margin of 65,705 votes.
Gujarat
Anand
In the ring: Bharatsinh Solanki (Congress) and Mitesh Patel (BJP)
Quick Take: Congress candidate and former state president Bharatsinh Solanki has often reiterated that if his party can’t win Anand it cannot win any other seat in the state. The BJP’s district treasurer Mitesh Patel has replaced sitting MP Dilip Patel. In caste terms, the OBC (Solanki) are in higher number then Patidar (Patel) in the constituency.
2014 Result: Dilip Patel (BJP) defeated Bharat Solanki (Congress) by 63,426 votes.
Amreli
In the ring: Paresh Dhanani (Congress) and Naran Kachhadiya (BJP)
Quick Take: In a Patidar versus Patidar contest, the Congress appears to have made inroads in BJP bastion of Saurashtra region. It won all the 7 assembly segments under Amreli LS seat. Congress’s leader of opposition Paresh Dhanani is popular in Amreli and takes on sitting MP Naran Kachhadiya, who is facing anti-incumbency.
Result 2014: Narach Kachhadiya (BJP) defeated Vrijbhai Thummar (Congress) 1,56,232 votes.
Gandhinagar
In the ring: Amit Shah (BJP) and C J Chavda
Gandhinagar has been a BJP bastion since 1989, with veteran party leader LK Advani as its MP since 1998. BJP president Amit Shah who has replaced Advani for this year’s battle will take on C J Chavda, a two-time MLA of the Congress. The constituency comprises seven assembly segments.
Result 2014: L K Advani (BJP) defeated Kirtibhai Ishvarbhai Patel (Congress) by 483,121 votes.
Uttar Pradesh
Mainpuri
In The Ring: Mulayam Singh Yadav (BSP-SP-RLD alliance) Prem Singh Shakya (BJP)
Quick Take: Having declared it as his last election, Samajwadi Party founder and patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav (MSY) is looking for his fifth time win from his home constituency where he began as a teacher at Intermediate School in Karhal (Mainpuri). Congress had decided not to field any candidate while BJP is hoping getting a good number of votes.
2014 Result: Mulayam Singh Yadav (SP) defeated Shatrughan Singh Chauhan (BJP) by 3,64,666 votes. (Mulayam vacated the seat retained Azamgarh and his grandnephew Tej Pratap Yadav won for Samajwadi Party in bye-election of 2014)
Etah
In The Ring: Rajveer Singh alias Raju Bhaiyya (BJP) Devendra Singh Yadav (SP-BSP-RLD alliance), Suraj Singh Shakya (INC+Jan Adhikar Morcha)
Quick Take: BJP’s sitting MP Rajveer Singh alias Raju Bhaiyya who is fighting to retain the seat is up against BSP-SP alliance candidate and former MP Devendra Singh Yadav. The seat is dominated by Lodh and Yadav communities and has substantial Schedule Castes votes. Rajveer Singh is the son of Rajasthan governor Kalyan Singh and Etah was the home constituency.
2014 Result: Rajveer Singh (BJP) defeated Devendra Singh Yadav (SP) by 2,01,000 votes.
Firozabad
In The Ring: Chandra Sen Jadaun (BJP) Akshay Yadav of SP, Shivpal Yadav (Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia)
Quick Take: The sitting Samajwadi MP Akshay Yadav faces his uncle Shivpal Yadav who formed his own party Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) a few months ago and is struggling to wash away the tag of B team of BJP. The BJP took a long time to declare Chandra Sen Jadaun as its candidate. The constituency is struggling to retain its glass industry in wake of competition from Chinese companies.
2014 Result: Akshay Yadav (SP) defeated SP Singh Baghel (BJP) by 2,01,000 votes.
Bareilly
In The Ring: Santosh Kumar Gangwar (BJP), Praveen Aron (INC), Bhagwat Saran Gangwar of BSP.
Quick Take: Sitting MP Santosh Kumar Gangwar has been elected five times from Bareilly and has been given another chance from his bastion. He is up against Bhagwat Saran Gangwar of the SP-BSP alliance and Praveen Aron of the Congress who was an MP from here in 2004-09. Both Gangwars are angling for their community votes.
2014 Result: Santosh Kumar Gangwar (BJP) defeated Ayesha Islam (SP) by 2,40,721 votes.
Pilibhit
In The Ring: Varun Gandhi (BJP), Hemraj Verma (SP)
Quick Take: Sitting MP Maneka Gandhi exchanged the seat with her son Varun Gandhi who won from Sultanpur in 2014. Located on the Indo-Nepal border Pilibhit has been a BJP bastion. The alliance has pitched former SP MLA from Pilibhit, Hemraj Verma against Varun. Pilibhit is among the most backward districts of the state.
2014 Result: Maneka Gandhi (BJP) defeated Budhsen Verma (SP) by 3 lakh votes.
Rampur
In The Ring: Jaya Prada (BJP), Azam Khan (SP), Sanjay Kapoor (INC)
Quick Take: The contest in Rampur has spiced up with the announcement of former friends-turned-enemies as candidates. Azam Khan the senior SP leader is contesting his maiden Lok Sabha election as the candidate of SP-BSP alliance from the seat against his arch-rival Jaya Prada who is fighting on a BJP ticket. Last week, the Election Commission banned Khan from campaigning for 72 hours because of an offensive comment.
2014 Result: Dr Nepal Singh (BJP) defeated Naseer Ahmed Khan (SP) by around 20,000 votes.
Moradabad
In The Ring: Kunwar Sarvesh Kumar (BJP), Dr ST Hasan (BSP-SP alliance), Imran Pratapgarhiya (INC)
Quick Take: Moradabad is one of the biggest business centres in west UP. It has traditionally been a BJP bastion. The town is also the biggest export hub in the state. Kunwar Sarvesh Kumar of BJP won the last election defeating the Samajwadi Party’s ST Hasan. The two men are locked in battle once again with Imran Pratapgarhiya of the Congress being the third contestant.
2014 Result: Kunwar Sarvesh Kumar (BJP) defeated Dr ST Hasan (SP) by over 87,000 votes.
Chhattisgarh
Raigarh
In the ring: Gomtee Sai (BJP) and Laljeet Singh Rathiya (Congress)
Quick take: The BJP is likely to struggle this time to match its previous performance in Raigarh. Being a lesser known leader, Gomtee Sai will face a tough challenge in the election. Rathiya, a two-term MLA, is also a low-profile leader and his father, Chanesh Ram Rathiyam has been a seven-term MLA. The BJP is campaigning on prime minister Narendra Modi’s achievement as its main poll plank whereas the Congress is focusing on work of chief minister Bhupesh Bhagel.
2014 results : Vishnu Deo Sai of BJP defeated Arti Singh (Congress) by 2.16 lakh votes.
Raipur
In the ring: Pramod Dubey (Congress) and Sunil Soni (BJP)
Quick take: Congress candidate Pramod Dubey is presently Mayor of Raipur city while BJP’s Sunil Soni was a former Mayor. BJP’s senior leader Ramesh Bais represented the seat, seven times but the party dropped him for this election which has lead to unrest in the Kurmi community. The upper caste vote of Raipur will be deciding factor in this election.
2014 result: Ramesh Bais (BJP) defeated Satynarayan Sharma (Congress) by 1,71,646 votes
Durg
In the ring: Pratima Chandrakar (Congress ) and Vijay Baghel (BJP)
Quick take: Durg Lok Sabha constituency was the only seat which Congress had won in the state in Chhattisgarh in the 2014 general elections and a close contest is expected this time. Durg is Kurmi dominated seat and both the candidates are from Kurmi community. Chandrakar was elected as an MLA from Durg Rural seat in 2008. She had lost in the 2013 assembly election. In the last year’s assembly election, Congress had first announced to field her from the same seat but later replaced her with Durg sitting MP Tamradhwaj Sahuwho was later inducted as home minister in chief minister Bhupesh Baghel’s cabinet. BJP’s Vijay Baghel is a former MLA.
2014 : Tamradhwaj Sahu (Congress ) defeated Saroj Pandey (BJP) by 16,848 votes.
Kerala
Wayanad (North Kerala)
In the ring: Rahul Gandhi (Congres), P P Suneer (CPI), Thushar Vellapally (BDJS, part of NDA)
Quick take: One of the Congress bastions where minority communities constitute more than 52% of voters and hold much sway. Congress president Rahul Gandhi visited his second constituency only once after filing his nomination papers but his sister Priyanka camped here for two days. He is up against P P Suneer of the CPI and Thushar Vellapally of the BDJS, a constituent of the NDA.
2014 result: Late M I Shanavas (Congress) defeated Sathyan Mokeri (CPI) by 20,870 votes
Thiruvananthapuram (South Kerala)
In the ring: Shashi Tharoor (Congress), C Divakaran (CPI), Kummanam Rajasekharan (BJP)
Quick take: Sitting MP Shashi Tharoor is trying for a hat-trick. The Sabarimala issue is likely to play a key role in this Hindu majority constituency.. Eying consolidation of Hindu votes PM Modi and party president Amit Shah campaigned vigorously. Tharoor’s challengers are C Divakaran of the CPI and Kummanam Rajasekharan of the BJP. The triangular contest is expected to be close.
2014 result: Shashi Tharoor (Congress) defeated O Rajagopal (BJP) by 14, 501 votes
Vatakaara (North Kerala)
In the ring: P Jayarajan (CPI-M), K Muralidharan (Congress), C K Sajeevan (BJP)
Quick take: Former Kannur district secretary of CPI (M) P Jayarajan, accused in two political murder cases, is pitted against K Muralidharan, son of former CM K Karunakaran. This area witnessed maximum political violence, especially between Left and right wing forces in last three decades. Main poll issue is violence.
2014 result: Mullapally Ramachandran (Congress) defeated A N Shamseer (CPI-M) by 3306 votes.
Bihar
Madhepura
In the ring: Sharad Yadav (RJD), Dinesh Chandra Yadav (JD-U), Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav (Independent)
Quick take: The fight is seen as prestige battle between Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on one hand and RJD president Lalu Prasad and Sharad Yadav, on the other. It is battle of political survival for former JD (U) president Sharad Yadav. Locals perceive Sharad as representative of Lalu Prasad in the seat dominated by Yadav votes.
2014 result: Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav (RJD) defeated Sharad Yadav (JD-U) by 56,209 votes.
Araria
In the ring: Sarfaraz Alam (RJD), Pradeep Kumar Singh (BJP), Ram Narayan Bharti (BSP)
Quick take: This is the only seat in entire Kosi and Seemanchal region which is being contested by the BJP. A predominantly Muslim-dominated constituency, the BJP is banking on polarization of votes for its victory. It has pitched Pradeep Kumar Singh for the third time in Araria. He had lost in 2014 and the bypolls in 2018.
2014 results: Late Mohd Taslimuddin (RJD) defeated Pradeep Kumar Singh (BJP) by over 1.36 lakh votes
2018 by-poll: Sarfaraz Alam (RJD) defeated Pradeep Kumar Singh (BJP) by 61,788 votes
Assam
Guwahati
In the ring: Queen Oja (BJP), Bobeeta Sharma (Congress) Upamanyu Hazarika (Independent)
Quick take: Considered the most prestigious seat in Assam, Guwahati will see a keen contest between two women heavyweights, Queen Oja of BJP versus Bobeeta Sharma of the Congress. The seat was represented in the past two general elections by Bijoya Chakravarty. BJP this time chose Oja, a former Asom Gana Parishad leader, and the Congress opted for Sharma, whose family is associated with the party for many decades. Supreme Court advocate Upamanyu Hazarika, who is contesting an independent with the promise of safeguarding indigenous people from illegal immigrants, is also hoping for a good show in a seat which is considered a BJP stronghold.
2014 result: Bijoya Chakravarty (BJP) defeated Manas Borah (Congress) by over 3.15 lakh votes.
Dhubri
In the ring: Badruddin Ajmal (AIUDF), Abu Taher Bepari (Congress) Javed Islam (AGP)
Quick take: A Congress stronghold for three decades, Dhubri reposed faith in perfume baron and chief of All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) Badruddin Ajmal in 2009 and again in 2014. The AIUDF’s core base is eroding and Ajmal himself lost his seat in the 2016 assembly polls. Muslims comprise nearly 79% of the total voters in the seat where Ajmal is up against Abu Taher Bepari of the Congress and Javed Islam of the AGP.
2014 Results: Badruddin Ajmal (AIUDF) defeated Wajed Ali Chowdhury (Congress) by 2.30 lakh votes.
Karnataka
Dharwad
In the ring: Pralhad Joshi (BJP) and Vinay Kulkarni of Congress
Quick take: It is a repeat of 2014 in Dharwad with sitting MP Pralhad Joshi of the BJP taking on Vinay Kulkarni of the Congress. Kulkarni was involved in the movement for a separate Lingayat religion and his pitch of Lingayat vs Brahmin, Joshi’s caste, has found some resonance this time around. The contest is expected to be close with the BJP portraying the movement for a separate religion as a conspiracy to divide society.
2014 result: Pralhad Joshi (BJP) defeated Vinay Kulkarni (Congress) by 1,13,657 votes.
Gulbarga (SC)
In the ring: Umesh Jadhav (BJP), Mallikarjuna Kharge (INC)
Quick take: Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Mallikarjuna Kharge is called ‘Sollilada Sardara’ (undefeated leader) for having never lost at the hustings in the 11 times he has contested in his career including nine assembly victories and two parliamentary ones. However, this time he is facing his own protege Umesh Jadhav who angry at Kharge promoting his own son to ministership in the Karnataka coalition, quit the Congress Party and is now challenging his mentor on a BJP ticket.
2014 result: Mallikarjuna Kharge (Congress) defeated Revunaik Belamagi (BJP) by 74,733 votes.
Ballari (ST)
In the ring: Y Devandrappa (BJP), V S Ugrappa (INC)
Quick take: Ever since UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi contested the Ballari seat against Sushama Swaraj in 1999, the constituency known for its mining barons has been under a spotlight. The BJP aided by mining barons Reddy borthers and their associate B S Sriramulu won the seat from 2004 onwards. However when Sriramulu resigned after getting elected to the state assembly in 2018, the BJP lost the seat in a bye-election. V S Ugrappa a close follower of former CM Siddaramiah won the seat but faces a stiff challenge in getting re-lected as BJP has fielded a Congress defector Devendrappa.
2014 result: B S Sriramulu (BJP) defeated N Y Hanumantappa (Congress) by 85,144 votes.
2018 bye-polls: V S Ugrappa (congress) defeated J Shanta (BJP) 243,161 votes.
