In final Purvanchal bout, BJP aims for big win on Modi-Yogi turfs

Propelled by the Modi and Yogi factors, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is aiming for complete domination in the 13 seats going to polls in the seventh and final phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha election on Saturday.

These seats include Varanasi, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in the fray for the third time, and Gorakhpur, the home turf of chief minister Yogi Adityanath. The BJP strategy is to overwhelm the opposition on the seats sandwiched between these two constituencies.

The 13 Lok Sabha constituencies that will vote on Saturday include Maharajganj, Gorakhpur, Kushinagar, Deoria, Bansgaon (SC), Ghosi, Salempur, Ballia, Ghazipur, Chandauli, Varanasi, Mirzapur and Robertsganj (SC). An assembly by-election will be held in Duddhi (ST) in Sonbhadra district.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, the BJP-led NDA won 11 of the 13 seats. The BJP alone won nine seats -- Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Maharajganj, Kushinagar, Deoria, Bansgaon, Salempur, Ballia and Chandauli. Its ally Apna Dal (Sonelal) won two seats Mirzapur and Robertsganj. The Bahujan Samaj Party, which was in alliance with the SP, wrested Ghosi and Ghazipur from the BJP.

The Congress and SP failed to open their account in these constituencies.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, the SP has allied with the Congress and fielded candidates on nine of these 13 seats. Congress candidates are in the fray on the remaining four seats.

To make inroads in the BJP’s non-Yadav OBC support base, the SP has fielded Nishad, Rajbhar, Sainthwar and Bind candidates. The Congress has played the OBC-upper caste card.

Going solo, the BSP has resorted to social engineering and fielded OBC, Upper Caste, Dalit and Muslim candidates.

While the INDIA bloc has put up one Muslim candidate, the BSP has nominated three Muslim candidates, all from the backward Pasmanda community.

The NDA’s success in the seventh phase will also depend on the performance of its allies and whether they are able to transfer votes to the BJP.

These allies include Apna Dal (S) led by Union minister Anupriya Patel, the Nishad party headed by Sanjay Nishad and Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) led by Om Prakash Rajbhar.

Among the key NDA candidates, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is contesting from Varanasi, Union minister for heavy industries Mahendra Nath Pandey from Chandauli, Union minister of state for finance Pankaj Chaudhary from Maharajganj and Union minister of state for commerce and industry and Apna Dal (S) chief Anupriya Patel from Mirzapur. Actor-turned-politician Ravi Kishan (BJP) is contesting from Gorakhpur against Bhojpuri actress Kajal Nishad (SP).

Congress national spokesperson Akhilesh Pratap Singh is contesting from Deoria and Mukhtar Ansari’s brother Afzal Ansari (SP) from Ghazipur.

Among political heirs, former minister Chandra Shekhar’s son Neeraj Shekhar is contesting on the BJP ticket from Ballia, Arvind Rajbhar, son of SBSP chief Om Prakash Rajbhar, from Ghosi, Ajai Pratap Singh alias Pintu Sainthwar (SP), son of former MLA Janmejay Singh, from Kushinagar and Shashank Mani Tripathi (BJP), son of party leader Prakash Mani Tripathi, from Deoria in the seventh phase.

A total of 144 candidates are in the fray for 13 Lok Sabha constituencies.

OBC voters play a decisive role on east UP seats. They include Yadavs, Kurmis, Nishads, Sainthwars, Lonias, Binds, Kacchis, Kashyaps, Kalwars, as well as the Dalits, Jatavs, Paswans and Dhobis.

The upper caste Brahmin, Bhumihar, Rajput, Vaishya and Kayastha voters are spread across Purvanchal constituencies.

The Muslim vote is key in Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Ghazipur, Ghosi and Maharajganj.

A total of2,50,56,877, voters -- - 1,33,10,897 men,1,17,44,922 women and 1058 third gender – are eligible to exercise their franchise.

Eight candidates are contesting from Maharajganj, 13 from Gorakhpur, nine from Kushinagar,seven from Deoria, eight from Bansgaon (SC),28 from Ghosi, nine from Salempur, 13 from Ballia, 10 from Ghazipur, 10 from Chandauli, seven from Varanasi, 10 from Mirzapur and 12 from Robertsganj (SC) constituency . Six candidates are contesting the by-election in Duddhi (ST) assembly constituency in Sonbhadra district.

MAHARAJGANJ

Union minister of state for finance Pankaj Chaudhary (BJP) is seeking a seventh term. He is facing Virendra Chaudhary (Congress), the sitting MLA from Pharenda, and the BSP’s Mohammad Mausme Alam.

GORAKHPUR

Bhojpuri film actor Ravi Kishan Shukla (BJP), who won the 2019 Lok Sabha election polling over 60% votes, faces the Bhojpuri actress Kajal Nishad (SP) and Javed Simnani (BSP).

KUSHINAGAR

Famous as the land of Gautam Buddha Mahaparinirvana , the constituency is witnessing a multi-cornered contest among sitting MP Vijay Dubey (BJP), Ajai Pratap Singh alias Pintu Saintwar (SP), Shubh Narain Chauhan (BSP) and Rashtriya Shoshit Samaj Party (RSSP) chief Swami Prasad Maurya.

DEORIA

The BJP denied the ticket to its sitting MP and former state chief Rampati Ram Tripathi. The party fielded Shashank Mani Tripathi, son of former BJP MP Shri Prakash Mani Tripathi. The Congress has fielded party national spokesperson Akhilesh Pratap Singh and the BSP has nominated OBC candidate Sandesh Yadav.

BANSGAON

This constituency in the rural areas of Gorakhpur is witnessing a straight contest between Kamlesh Paswan (BJP), who is seeking a fourth term, and Sadal Prasad (Congress). The BSP has fielded retired bureaucrat Ram Samujh.

GHOSI

Arvind Rajbhar, son of SBSP chief Om Prakash Rajbhar, is facing Rajiv Rai (SP) and Bal Krishna Chauhan (BSP). The BSP had won this seat in 2019.

SALEMPUR

Located adjacent to Deoria, the constituency is witnessing triangular contest among sitting BJP MP Ravindra Kushwaha, Ram Shankar Rajbhar (SP) and former BSP state unit president Bhim Rajbhar.

BALLIA

The BJP has fielded Neeraj Shekhar, son of former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar, against Sanatan Pandey (SP) and Lallan Singh Yadav (BSP).

GHAZIPUR

Sitting BSP MP Afzal Ansari, brother of gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, is contesting on the SP ticket. The BJP has fielded Parasnath Rai and the BSP nominated Umesh Kumar Singh.

CHANDAULI

Union minister Mahendra Nath Pandey is seeking a third term on the BJP ticket. The SP has fielded former minister Virendra Singh. Satyendra Kumar Maurya is contesting on the BSP ticket.

VARANASI

After his wins in 2014 and 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third term. UP Congress chief Ajay Rai, who contested against Modi in 2014 and 2019, is in the fray again. The BSP has fielded Athar Jamal Lari.

MIRZAPUR

Union minister and Apna Dal (S) chief Anupriya Patel faces BJP turncoat Ramesh Bind (SP) and the BSP’s Manish Tripathi. Anupriya won the seat in 2014 and 2019.

ROBERTSGANJ

In this tribal and dalit dominated seat, the Apna Dal (S) fielded Rinki Kol, daughter-in-law of sitting party MP Pakuri Lal Kol against BJP rebel Chhotelal Kharwar (SP) who won the seat in 2014. The BSP has fielded Dhaneshwar Gautam.