Lok Sabha election 2024: Which Are the Key Seats and Candidates In Phase 2 Voting?

Today, April 26th, marks the second phase of the 18th Lok Sabha Elections 2024, a cornerstone event in the democratic process. Across 13 states and Union Territories, voters will engage in this monumental exercise, encompassing 88 Lok Sabha constituencies.

The distribution of seats for polling in this phase is as follows:

– Kerala: All 20 seats

– Karnataka: 14 seats

– Rajasthan: 13 seats

– Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra: 8 seats each

– Madhya Pradesh: 6 seats

– Bihar and Assam: 5 seats each

– Chhattisgarh and West Bengal: 3 seats each

– Tripura, Jammu Kashmir, and Manipur: 1 seat each.

It’s noteworthy that voting in the Betul constituency of Madhya Pradesh will not occur on April 26th due to the unfortunate demise of a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate.

The first phase, held on April 19th, saw 102 Lok Sabha constituencies going to the polls. The results for all seats are scheduled to be declared on June 4th.

Lok Sabha polls 2024 Phase 2: Key candidates

– Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala: Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Congress’s Shashi Tharoor, and CPI’s Annie Raja are prominent contenders.

– Bengaluru South, Karnataka: BJP’s Tejasvi Surya and Congress’s Sowmya Reddy are in a face-off.

– Mathura, Uttar Pradesh: BJP’s Hema Malini and Congress’s Mukesh Dhangar are key contenders.

– Meerut, Uttar Pradesh: Arun Govil, known for portraying Lord Ram, is contesting against candidates from BSP and SP.

– Kota Bundi, Rajasthan: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla of BJP is facing Congress’s Prahlad Gunjal.

– Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh: BJP’s Santosh Pandey and Congress’s Bhupesh Baghel are competing.

– Bangalore Rural, Karnataka: Congress’s DK Suresh is challenged by BJP-JD(S) combine’s CN Manjunath.

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Lok Sabha polls 2024 Phase 2: Key Constituencies

– Wayanad, Kerala: Rahul Gandhi faces strong opposition from CPI’s Annie Raja and BJP’s K Surendran

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Rahul Gandhi of the Congress secured a significant victory in Wayanad, surpassing his opponents with a commanding lead of over 4.31 lakh votes, marking the highest margin in Kerala during those elections. With an impressive 64.94 per cent vote share, he defeated LDF candidate PP Suneer, while the NDA fielded BDJ (S) leader Tushar Vellapally. Now, Rahul Gandhi, the incumbent MP, is poised for re-election to maintain his position. Yet, his path to victory is challenged by formidable opponents this time around. Annie Raja, nominated by the Communist Party of India (CPI), and K Surendran, representing the Bharatiya Janata Party, present strong competition for Rahul Gandhi in the upcoming election.

– Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala: Shashi Tharoor faces Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar and CPI’s Pannyan Raveendran

In Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor stands as a prominent figure, known for his distinguished career as a former UN diplomat. Since his initial victory in 2009, where he broke the Communist Party’s streak of consecutive wins, Tharoor has consistently maintained his stronghold in the constituency. Triumphing over the BJP in both the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections by substantial margins, he has solidified his position as one of Kerala’s esteemed Congress leaders. As preparations for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections unfold, Tharoor faces formidable opponents. Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar from the BJP and Pannyan Raveendran of the CPI present stiff competition in this electoral battle.

– Mathura, Uttar Pradesh: Hema Malini contends against Congress’s Mukesh Dhangar

In Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, Hema Malini, a two-term incumbent MP and former Rajya Sabha member, has represented the constituency for the BJP since 2014. As she prepares for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Malini aims for a third consecutive term in office. Her main competitor is Mukesh Dhangar of the Congress, who holds membership in the All India Congress Committee (AICC). In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Hema Malini, transitioning from her career as an actor to a politician, achieved a decisive victory in Mathura. Securing around 530,000 votes, she outstripped her nearest rival, Kunwar Narendra Singh from the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), by over 293,000 votes.

– Meerut, Uttar Pradesh: Arun Govil competes against BSP and SP candidates

In Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, the long-serving three-time BJP MP Rajendra Agarwal, who held the seat since 2004, will be succeeded by Arun Govil, renowned for his portrayal of Lord Ram in the Ramayan TV series. Govil is set to contest against Devvrat Kumar Tyagi of the Bahujan Samaj Party and Sunita Verma of the Samajwadi Party in the upcoming Lok Sabha election 2024. Rajendra Agarwal secured victories with significant margins in the previous two Lok Sabha elections of 2014 and 2019, successfully overcoming challenges from BSP candidates.

– Kota Bundi, Rajasthan: Om Birla faces Congress’s Prahlad Gunjal

In Kota Bundi, Rajasthan, Om Birla, the current Speaker of the Lok Sabha and two-term MP from Kota representing the BJP, is preparing for another electoral contest to secure a third consecutive victory in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. His opponent from the Congress is Prahlad Gunjal. Kota, historically a stronghold of the Congress, witnessed a significant shift towards the BJP when Om Birla emerged victorious in both the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Prior to his tenure in the Lok Sabha, Om Birla had already established a strong political presence in Rajasthan, serving as a member of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly from 2003 to 2014, representing the Kota South Assembly constituency.

– Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh: Santosh Pandey contests against Congress’s Bhupesh Baghel

In Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh, the prestigious seat will witness a showdown between BJP’s incumbent MP Santosh Pandey and Congress’ Bhupesh Baghel, a former chief minister and the current MLA. For over three decades, Rajnandgaon has stood as a bastion of the BJP. Santosh Pandey secured victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, succeeding Abhishek Singh, the son of former chief minister Raman Singh. Bhupesh Baghel’s entry into the electoral arena of Rajnandgaon has heightened the competition in the region.

– Bangalore South, Karnataka: Tejasvi Surya faces Congress’s Sowmya Reddy

In Bangalore South, Karnataka, Tejasvi Surya, the incumbent MP and national president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) since September 26, 2020, is preparing for reelection in the 2024 elections from the same constituency. Surya will face off against Congress candidate Sowmya Reddy. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Tejasvi Surya secured a decisive victory over his closest competitor, Congress candidate BK Hariprasad, with a vote margin of 3,31,192, thereby extending the party’s winning streak in the constituency.

– Bangalore Rural, Karnataka: DK Suresh contends against BJP-JD(S) combine’s CN Manjunath

In Bangalore Rural, Karnataka, DK Suresh, the sole Congress candidate to secure victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka, is seeking reelection in the 2024 elections. DK Suresh, the brother of Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar, emerged victorious in the 2013 bypoll, defeating former MLA Anitha Kumaraswamy after her husband and former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy resigned from the Lok Sabha following his victory in the assembly polls that year. He was subsequently re-elected in the 2014 and 2019 general elections.

Challenging DK Suresh is the BJP-JD(S) combine, which has nominated noted cardiac surgeon CN Manjunath. Manjunath, who is contesting on the BJP symbol, previously headed the state-owned Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research for 17 years before retiring in January this year.

Expressing confidence in Suresh’s victory, Shivakumar highlighted that electoral battles with the Deve Gowda family are not unfamiliar territory.