Today marked the initiation of voting in 14 of Uttar Pradesh’s 80 Lok Sabha constituencies, signifying the onset of the pivotal Phase 5 of the Lok Sabha election 2024.
As per reports from the Election Commission of India (ECI), a total of 144 candidates are competing in this leg of the election. The ECI meticulously scrutinized 466 nomination forms, ultimately short-listing 147 candidates, with the papers of 144 candidates being officially approved.
Notable contenders in this phase include Union Ministers Smriti Irani and Rajnath Singh, along with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Additionally, Karan Bhushan Singh, replacing his father Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh as the BJP nominee in the Kaiserganj constituency, joins the electoral fray. Brij Bhushan, the former chief of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), has faced allegations of sexual harassment from several female wrestlers.
The 14 Lok Sabha constituencies witnessing voting today encompass Mohanlalganj (SC), Lucknow, Raebareli, Amethi, Jalaun (SC), Jhansi, Hamirpur, Banda, Fatehpur, Kaushambi (SC), Barabanki (SC), Faizabad, Kaisarganj, and Gonda.
As the electoral process unfolds in Uttar Pradesh, it underscores the critical phase of democratic participation as citizens exercise their voting rights to shape the future political landscape of the state and the nation at large.
