Hyderabad: Bharatiya Janata Party has expressed confidence in most of the sitting MPs in Uttar Pradesh after releasing the first list of Lok Sabha elections 2024. Out of these, three names are in the fray for the Lok Sabha elections for the 6th time. These include Unnao MP Sakshi Maharaj, Jalaun MP Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma, and Hardoi MP Jai Prakash Rawat.
It is believed that the top leadership of the BJP has given Maharaj the gift of being the guardian of Hindutva and awakening the flame of Sanatan Dharma. At the same time, considering Bhanu Pratap's clean image and loyalty to the party, he has got the ticket again. Similarly, the BJP has given a chance to Hardoi MP considering his victory with huge votes last time and a good hold in the area.
Despite the BJP's consistent faith in him, only the public can decide if he will be able to score a 'sixer' this time by emerging victorious. At the same time, five-time Lok Sabha members Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and Maneka Gandhi are waiting for a ticket.
Sakshi Maharaj, who had reached Parliament for the first time in 1991, has always been in the news for his statements. He is contesting for the third consecutive time. Born on January 12, 1956, in Sakshi Dham, Kasganj, he contested elections for the first time from Mathura in 1991 on a BJP ticket and defeated JDB's Lakshmi Narayan Choudhary by 15512 votes.
After this, again in 1996, he contested the Farrukhabad Lok Sabha seat on BJP ticket and defeated SP candidate Anwar Mohammad Khan. The government led by Inder Kumar Gujral collapsed in 1997 after the Indian National Congress withdrew its support, leading to subsequent elections in 1988, three years ahead of schedule.
This time also Sakshi Maharaj won on BJP ticket from Farrukhabad seat. After the fall of the government after 13 months, elections were held again in 1999, in which Sakshi Maharaj contested the election on SP ticket but lost. Later Mulayam Singh sent him to Rajya Sabha in 2022. In 2012, Sakshi Maharaj again returned to the BJP.
After this, Mulayam Singh contested the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Unnao on a BJP ticket and won by defeating SP's Arun Shankar Shukla by 21,873 votes. In 2019 as well, he achieved a record-breaking victory from Unnao in the Lok Sabha Elections. Bhanu Pratap Singh contested the field seven times and became honorable five times.
BJP has once again chosen the current MP from Jalaun, Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma, as its candidate. Bhanu Pratap has contested the Lok Sabha elections seven times so far, losing twice and reaching the Lok Sabha five times. Current Union Minister of State, Bhanu Pratap Verma started as a councilor of the Konch Municipality.
In 1991, he was elected MLA from the Konch Assembly. Meanwhile, after the untimely demise of Jalaun MP Gaya Prasad Kori in 1996, he contested the by-election on BJP ticket and won the election. He even won for the second time in the elections held in 1988. However, he lost the elections for the third time in 1999.
After this, he won for the fifth time in 2014 by defeating Ghanshyam Anuragi of SP. After this, he again lost in the elections held in 2009 and stood third. In 2014, when the BJP expressed confidence again, he defeated Brijlal Khabri and became MP. Similarly, in 2019, BSP's Ajay Singh was defeated. It is believed that keeping in mind the clean image, the BJP has again fielded him.
Jai Prakash Rawat got the gift of victory by a huge margin. Originally from Lucknow, he is currently an MP from Hardoi. For the first time in 1991, the election was won from here on BJP ticket. After this, he again contested the elections on a BJP ticket in 1996 and won. At the same time, in the 1998 general elections, he lost to SP candidate Usha Verma.
After this, he contested the elections in 1999 on the ticket of Naresh Aggarwal's Democratic Congress Party and won. After this, he won the 2004 elections and became an MP. After this, he was made Rajya Sabha MP in 2009. At the same time, in the Lok Sabha elections held in 2019, the BJP canceled the ticket of its sitting MP Anshul Verma and gave the ticket to Jai Prakash. Jai Prakash Rawat won this election by getting 5,67,244 votes. Defeated SP candidate Usha Verma from the alliance by 1,32,785 votes. Looking at the last election results, BJP has once again gambled on Jai Prakash Rawat.
Son Varun's rebellion may cost Maneka Gandhi a lot, while Sultanpur MP Maneka Gandhi's ticket has not been finalized yet. If BJP makes Maneka Gandhi a candidate again, she will also contest the Lok Sabha elections for the sixth time. Maneka Gandhi entered politics in 1982 after the death of Sanjay Gandhi in an accidental accident.
She contested her first election from the Amethi parliamentary seat as an independent candidate against her elder brother Rajiv Gandhi and faced a crushing defeat. After this, Maneka Gandhi joined Janata Dal in 1988 and won the second election in 1989 by contesting from Pilibhit parliamentary seat.
However, he had to face defeat in the 1991 elections. In 1996, he again won from Pilibhit parliamentary seat as a Janata Dal candidate. At the same time, in 1998 and 1999, with the support of the BJP, she was successful in reaching Parliament by winning from Pilibhit seat as an independent candidate.
She joined the BJP in 2004 and was elected MP from Pilibhit in 2004, Amla in 2009, and again from Pilibhit in 2014. At the same time, in 2019, the BJP gave a ticket to son Varun Gandhi from Pilibhit, and Maneka Gandhi was given a ticket from Sultanap.
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