Hyderabad: The first phase of Lok Sabha elections in 102 seats in 21 states and union territories kicked off at 7 am today. Apart from all 39 seats of Tamil Nadu, 15 seats from northeast states and many from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra and West Bengal are included in this phase.
A few Union ministers and heavyweight candidates are in the fray in this phase. Here is a sneak-peek into the profiles of these key candidates:
Kiren Rijju (BJP) from Arunachal West
Union minister Kiren Rijju is contesting from Arunachal West for the third time. He has been winning this seat since 2014. Rijju is pitted against Congress candidate and former CM Nabam Tuki.
Nitin Gadkari (BJP) from Nagpur
Union minister Nitin Gadkari won from Nagpur twice in 2014 and 2019. He is contesting against Congress candidate Vikas Thakre, who is former Nagpur mayor and sitting MP from Nagpur West.
Sarbananda Sonowal (BJP) from Dibrugarh
Sarbananda Sonowal, MoS of ministry of ports, shipping and waterways and former Assam CM, had won on Asom Gana Parishad ticket for 20 years and then joined the BJP. He is pitted against Assam Jatiya Parishad's Lurinjyoti Gogoi, a popular student leader.
K Kanimozhi (DMK) from Thoothukkudi
K Kanimozhi, a two-time MP is DMK's key face in Delhi and a popular face in the Opposition. She is Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin's half-sister. She is contesting against AIADMK's Sivawamy Velumani and SDR Viyayaseelan.
Gaurav Gogoi (Congress) from Jorhat
Gaurav Gogoi, son of former Assam CM late Tarun Gogoi is a two-time MP from Kaliabor, who managed to retain his seat despite BJP wave in the last decade. He has been fielded from Jorhat after the Kaliabor seat became non existant following delimitation. This time, he is facing sitting BJP MP, Topon Kumar Gogoi.
Nakul Nath, Congress from Chhindwara
Nakul Nath is the sitting MP from Chhindwara, a seat his father, veteran Congress leader and former CM Kamal Nath, has represented nine times. He, a businessman by profession, is among the richest MP and is contesting against BJP's Vivek Sahu.
Tamilisai Soundararajan (BJP) from Chennai South.
Former Tamil Nadu CM, Telangana Governor and Puducherry Lieutenant Governor, Tamilisai Soundararajan, who is a doctor by profession, is a heavyweight BJP candidate. She is pitted against DMK's sitting MP Thamizhachi Thangapandian.
K Annamalai (BJP) from Coimbatore
Former IPS officer who quit jon to enter politics in 2019, K Annamalai is an engineering graduate with an MBA degree from IIM-Lucknow. He is up against DMK's Ganapathi P Rajkumar, former mayor and holding a doctorate degree in journalism and mass communication.
Jitin Prasada (BJP) from Pilibhit
Jitin Prasada has been fielded by replacing Varun Gandhi from Pilibhit. An erstwhile Congress leader, Prasada had won in 2004 and 2009 but lost in 2014 and 2019. He was appointed a minister in Yogi Adityanath cabinet after he joined BJP. He is fighting against Samajwadi Party's Bhagwant Saran Gangwar, former minister and five-time MLA.
Karti Chidambaram (Congress) from Sivaganga
Karti Chidambaram, sitting MP from Tamil Nadu's Sivaganga is working towards retaining this seat, which has been represented by his father former finance minister P Chidambaram seven times. He is up against AIADMK candidate A Xavierdas and BJP candidate Yadav T.
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