Lucknow: Congress is yet to announce its candidate for Mathura Lok Sabha seat, which will go to polls in the second phase on April 26.
Two-time sitting MP Hema Malini has been fielded by BJP from Mathura while BSP has named former IRS officer Suresh Singh. This seat has come to Congress under the INDIA alliance. It is considering to field India's Olympic medal-winning boxer Vijender Singh against Hema Malini. However, the final seal of approval has not been given yet.
Out of 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, Congress will contest 17 seats in alliance with Samajwadi Party. In the second phase, elections are to be held on nine Lok Sabha seats in the state. Congress will contest in four seats in this phase.
So far, the party has announced candidates for 13 of the 17 seats. Apart from Mathura, the other seats where candidates have not been announced are Prayagraj, Rae Bareli and Amethi.
Mathura Lok Sabha seat of western Uttar Pradesh is one of the most high-profile seats in the state. BJP is yet again betting on yesteryears' 'Dream Girl' Hema Malini, who has been fielded for the third time.
Apart from Vijender Singh, the contenders for the seat include former minister and CLP leader Pradeep Mathur and Mahesh Pathak, who was the Congress candidate in 2019. Names of Manvendra Singh, who became MP on Congress ticket in 2004 and state general secretary Mukesh Dhangar are also doing the rounds.
Congress has announced Dolly Sharma for Ghaziabad seat, Ramnath Valmiki for Bulandshahr and Kunwar Danish Ali for Amroha. These three seats would go to polls in the second phase along with Mathura.
The grand old party faces a tough challenge in both its strongholds, Amethi and Rae Bareli, which was vacated by Sonia Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi was defeated by Smriti Irani in Amethi in 2019 elections by a margin of about 50,000 votes.
Congress leaders have demanded that Rahul Gandhi be fielded from Amethi and Priyanka Gandhi from Rae Bareli but the Gandhi family has not taken the the final call on any of the two seats.
Sanjay Gupta, professor of Political Science, Lucknow University, said that after Sonia Gandhi vacated the seat, it was believed that only members of the Gandhi family would contest from both the seats. However, with candidates not being declared from Amethi and Rae Bareli till now, a wrong message is being sent to the people. If Congress does not declare its candidate soon, it will have a huge impact on the elections, he said.
Uttar Pradesh Congress spokesperson Anshu Awasthi said that apart from Rae Bareli and Amethi seats, candidates have not been declared on two other seats. "Candidates will be declared in all the remaining seats very soon. The Gandhi family has a relationship with Rae Bareli and Amethi and so people want members of the Gandhi family to represent them. Family members namely Firoz Gandhi, Sanjay Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi have represented these seats," Awasthi said.
Notably, former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had filed his nomination from this seat.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, BJP's Hema Malini won by 6,71,293 votes. RLD's Kunwar Narendra Singh stood second bagging 3,77,822 votes while Congress candidate, Mahesh Pathak had got only 28,084 votes.
In 2014, Hema Malini had secured 5,74,633 votes, RLD's Jayant Chaudhary got 2,43,890 votes, BSP's Yogesh Kumar Dwivedi got 1,73,572 votes and SP's Chandan Singh got 36,673 votes.
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