Lok Sabha election 2024 phase 1: High-profile constituencies and key candidates

Lok Sabha Election 2024 phase 1- Key seats and candidates: The 2024 Lok Sabha elections will be held in India in seven phases, from April 19 to June 1, to elect the 543 members of the Lower House of Parliament. The results will be announced on June 4.

In the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections in 2024, 21 states and union territories will go to polls. The states and union territories where the elections will be held in the first phase are Arunachal Pradesh (2 seats), Assam (5 seats), Bihar (4 seats), Chhattisgarh (1 seat), Madhya Pradesh (6 seats), Maharashtra (5 seats), Manipur (2 seats), Meghalaya (2), Mizoram (1 seat), Nagaland (1 seat), Rajasthan (12 seats), Sikkim (1 seat), Tamil Nadu (39 seats), Tripura (1 seat), Uttar Pradesh (8 seats), Uttarakhand (5 seats), West Bengal (3 seats), Andaman and Nicobar (1 seat), Jammu and Kashmir (1 seat), Lakshadweep (1 seat) and Puducherry (1 seat).

Lok Sabha polls 2024: High-profile constituencies in phase 1

1. Uttar Pradesh: Saharanpur, Rampur, Pilibhit, Muzzafarnagar
2. Maharashtra: Ramtek (SC), Nagpur, Chandrapur
3. Assam: Dibrugarh, Sonitpur, Jorhat
4. Chhattisgarh: Bastar
5. Bihar: Jamui, Gaya
6. Jammu and Kashmir: Udhampur
7. Madhya Pradesh: Chhindwara
8. Tamil Nadu: Chennai North, Chennai South, Chennai Central, Coimbatore, Thoothukkudi, Tirunelveli, Kanniyakumari
9. Rajasthan: Bikaner, Sikar, Churu, Nagaur, Alwar
10. West Bengal: Cooch Behar, Alipurduars, Jalpaiguri
11. Rajasthan: Ganganagar, Bikaner, Jaipur, Alwar, Bharatpur, Dausa, Nagaur

Lok Sabha election 2024: Key candidates in Phase 1

• Nitin Gadkari (Nagpur-Maharashtra): Nitin Gadkari, the Union road transport and highways minister, is eyeing his third consecutive victory from the Nagpur constituency. His political prowess was evident in 2014 when he secured a significant win over seven-time MP Vilas Muttemwar, and in 2019, he maintained his lead by defeating the current Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole.

• Jitin Prasada (Pilibhit-Uttar Pradesh): Once a Congress loyal, Jitin Prasada shifted his allegiance to the BJP, marking a significant political move. Hailing from Uttar Pradesh, he previously won elections from the Shahjahanpur and Dhaurahara constituencies on the Congress ticket. Now contesting from Pilibhit, Jitin Prasada's candidacy has reshaped the electoral dynamics, bringing forth a competition between him, Bhagwant Saran Gangwar of the Samajwadi Party, and Anees Ahmes Khan of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

• Tamilisai Soundararajan (South Chennai-Tamil Nadu): Tamilisai Soundararajan, a seasoned politician, stepped down as Telangana governor to re-enter active politics. Her candidacy in Chennai South, representing the BJP, reflects her commitment to serve the people. With a political lineage tied to her veteran Congress leader mother, Kumari Ananthan, Tamilisai brings experience and dedication to her electoral pursuits.

• K Annamalai (Coimbatore-Tamil Nadu): As the BJP state president in Tamil Nadu, K Annamalai stands as a formidable candidate in Coimbatore. His candidacy symbolises the BJP's aspirations in the region, confronting opponents from DMK and AIADMK. Former Indian Police Service officer Kuppuswamy Annamalai is just four years into his avatar as a politician but is already looking like a pro. The 39-year-old became the youngest BJP president in Tamil Nadu in 2021.

• Dayanidhi Maran (Chennai Central-Tamil Nadu): Representing Chennai Central, Dayanidhi Maran seeks to maintain the stronghold of the ruling DMK in the constituency. Engaged in a spirited contest against BJP's Vinoj P Selvam, Dayanidhi Maran's tenure as the incumbent MP underscores his commitment to the welfare of Chennai Central's residents. Sitting MP Dayanidhi Maran had won from the constituency in 2004, 2009 and 2019. The latter was the Union minister of communications and information technology in the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government in 2004. Dayanidhi Maran's father, late Union minister Murasoli Maran, had also represented the seat three times.

• Nakul Nath (Chhindwara-Madhya Pradesh): Nakul Nath, son of former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath, aims for re-election from Chhindwara, a seat long held by his father. Despite the BJP's dominance in the state, Chhindwara has remained loyal to the Nath family for decades. Nakul Nath's victory in 2019 reaffirmed the constituency's allegiance to the Congress, continuing the legacy of service established by his father.

• Imran Masood (Saharanpur-Uttar Pradesh): In the electoral battleground of Saharanpur, Imran Masood has emerges as a prominent contender, representing the Congress-SP alliance. With a familial connection to the seasoned politician Rashid Masood, Imran Masood brings a legacy of service and dedication to his candidacy. Engaged in a triangular race against BJP's Raghav Lakhanpal Sharma and BSP's Majid Ali, Imran Masood seeks to champion the aspirations of Saharanpur's constituents.

• Jitendra Singh (Udhampu-Jammu and Kashmir): A two-term MP and Union minister holding multiple portfolios, Jitendra Singh gears up for another electoral battle in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur constituency. With his sights set on securing a third consecutive victory, Jitendra Singh's political journey has been marked by significant wins against prominent opponents. In 2014, he triumphed over former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, a feat he repeated in 2019, widening his victory margin against Congress's Vikramaditya Singh. The 2024 Lok Sabha elections will see Jitendra Singh facing off against Congress's Chaudhary Lal Singh, also a two-time MP from Udhampur, setting the stage for an intriguing electoral contest in the region.

• Kiren Rijiju (Arunachal West constituency-Arunachal Pradesh): In the upcoming elections in Arunachal Pradesh, both Lok Sabha and assembly polls will take place simultaneously in the first phase on April 19. Kiren Rijiju, a three-time MP and Union minister of earth sciences, is vying for reelection from the Arunachal West constituency. His opponent is Nabam Tuki, the former chief minister and current president of the Arunachal Pradesh Congress. Looking back at the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Kiren Rijiju emerged victorious in the Arunachal West constituency. He continued his winning streak in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, securing a resounding victory over Congress' Nabam Tuki in the same constituency.

• Gaurav Gogoi (Jorhat-Assam): In the electoral arena of Jorhat, Assam, a notable contest emerges between JP's Topon Kumar Gogoi and Congress's Gaurav Gogoi. Gaurav Gogoi, Congress's deputy leader in Lok Sabha and son of former chief minister Tarun Gogoi, has established himself as a two-time winner of the Lok Sabha elections since 2014, representing the Kaliabor constituency. However, owing to the delimitation exercise in 2

019, he transitioned to the neighbouring Jorhat constituency. In the upcoming Lok Sabha 2024 elections, he will face off against the incumbent MP of Jorhat from the BJP, Topon Kumar Gogoi.