Rajnath Singh, the Union Minister for Defence and a senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is currently leading in the Lucknow Lok Sabha constituency in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, according to the Election Commission of India (ECI).
Initial Results Show Singh Ahead
As the initial results begin to trickle in, Singh’s closest rival for the Lucknow seat is Ravidas Mehrotra of the Samajwadi Party (SP). At 1 pm, Singh is leading by a margin of 17,420 votes, as per the ECI data.
Lucknow’s Consistent Support for BJP
The voters of Lucknow have consistently backed BJP candidates in the last 33 years. Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee represented the seat in the Lok Sabha from 1991 to 2004. In 2009, BJP’s Lal Ji Tandon won the seat, defeating Congress’ Rita Bahuguna Joshi with a margin of 7.0%. In 2014, Rajnath Singh was fielded by the BJP and he defeated Joshi with a margin of 26.38%.
Singh’s Political Journey
Rajnath Singh, aged 72, has been associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological parent of the BJP, since 1964. He joined the Bharatiya Jana Sangh in 1974 and made his electoral debut in 1977 on a Janata Party ticket, winning a seat in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly. Singh joined the BJP in 1980 as one of its initial members.
Key Positions Held by Singh
Over the years, Singh has held several important positions within the BJP and the government. He served as the BJP’s Uttar Pradesh unit president from 1997 to 1999, Union Surface Transport Minister in the Vajpayee government, and Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh in 2000. He was also the BJP’s national president from 2005 to 2009 and served as the Union Home Minister in the first term of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Currently, he holds the position of Union Defence Minister in Modi’s second term.
Lucknow Lok Sabha Constituency
The Lucknow Lok Sabha constituency went to the polls in the fifth phase on 20 May, recording a voter turnout of 52.23%. The Lok Sabha elections for 543 seats were held in seven phases starting from April 19, with the last phase on June 1.
The BJP is seeking a rare third term at the Centre with Narendra Modi as Prime Minister. The party is confident of retaining the Lucknow seat with Rajnath Singh’s leadership and the consistent support of the voters in the constituency.
