New Delhi, Apr 25: The upcoming second phase of the Lok Sabha polls will witness key candidates from various political parties vying for victory. Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Shashi Tharoor, along with actor-turned-politician Arun Govil, are among the prominent contenders. On the other hand, BJP stalwarts Hema Malini, Om Birla, and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat are seeking a hat-trick of wins from their respective constituencies.
The first phase of the staggered elections, held last Friday across 21 states and Union territories, witnessed a voter turnout of approximately 65.5 per cent. As the second phase approaches, polling is scheduled in various states, including Kerala, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Manipur, Tripura, and Jammu and Kashmir.
Rahul Gandhi, the incumbent MP from Wayanad in Kerala, seeks re-election and faces competition from CPI’s Annie Raja and BJP’s K Surendran. In Thiruvananthapuram, Shashi Tharoor aims to secure the seat for the fourth consecutive time, contending against BJP’s Rajeev Chandrasekhar and CPI’s Pannyan Raveendran.
Meanwhile, Hema Malini, representing Mathura since 2014, competes against Congress’ Mukesh Dhangar, and Om Birla, a two-time MP from Kota, faces Prahlad Gunjal of the Congress party. In Jodhpur, Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat seeks a third win, challenged by Congress candidate Karan Singh Uchiyarda.
Other notable contests include Tejasvi Surya from Bangalore South, Bhupesh Baghel from Rajnandgaon, and Arun Govil, known for his portrayal of Lord Ram in the Ramayan TV series, debuting in Meerut against BSP’s Devvrat Kumar Tyagi and SP’s Sunita Verma.
In Madhya Pradesh, BJP’s Virendra Kumar Khatik eyes a fourth victory from Tikamgarh, while Congress presents a new face, Pankaj Ahirwar. The Alappuzha seat in Kerala sees a prestige battle with AICC general secretary K C Venugopal’s return to the fray against CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF).
Actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi contests from Thrissur, and incumbent BJP MP Sukanta Majumdar seeks re-election from Balurghat in West Bengal, facing competitors from various parties.
