India election: 1st phase will decide fates of a number of Modi ministers

THE first phase of India’s general elections, scheduled for Friday (19) , will see prominent political figures including eight federal ministers, two former chief ministers, and an ex-governor contesting in 102 constituencies across 21 states and Union territories of the country.

Road and transport minister Nitin Gadkari is vying for a third consecutive term from Nagpur in the western state of Maharashtra, where he previously defeated a seven-time MP in 2014 and the current chief of the Maharashtra unit of the opposition Indian National Congress in 2019, by significant margins.

Earth sciences minister Kiren Rijiju seeks to maintain his representation of Arunachal West in the north-eastern-most state of Arunachal Pradesh, a seat he has won thrice since 2004, facing off against Nabam Tuki, former chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh. Rijiju had defeated Tuki by 174,000 votes in 2019.

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In neighbouring Assam, Indian ports and shipping minister and former chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal is campaigning in Dibrugarh, shifting from his role in the Rajya Sabha of the Upper House of the parliament. Sonowal had won in Dibrugarh in the 2004 election but lost in 2009. In 2014, he won from Lakhimpur but was busy with state responsibilities between 2016 and 2021.

Another federal Sanjeev Baliyan faces a tight race in Muzaffarnagar’s intricate caste landscape in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh against candidates from the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party -- two big local players. Balyan won the 2014 and 2019 elections from Muzaffarnagar.

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Further contests feature Jitendra Singh in Udhampur, aiming for a third term, and Bhupendra Yadav, who challenges a sitting Congress MLA in Rajasthan’s Alwar district.

Law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal is contesting against a former Congress minister of the Rajasthan government in Bikaner, a seat he has been winning since 2009.

In Tamil Nadu, notable battles include A Raja, a former telecom minister and incumbent Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam MP, against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's L Murugan in the Nilgiris constituency, and the Congress's Karti Chidambaram who seeks re-election in Sivaganga, a seat previously won by his father and former finance minister P Chidambaram as many as seven times.

Other significant races include Tamilisai Soundararajan, former governor and now a candidate in Chennai South in Tamil Nadu, and Nakul Nath, who is defending his seat in Chhindwara in the central state of Madhya Pradesh, a stronghold previously held by his father, Kamal Nath.

These elections will unfold over seven phases from April 19 to June 1, determining the makeup of the 18th Lok Sabha. The final results will be announced on June 4.

While prime minister Narendra Modi is seeking a record-equalling third straight term, the opposition’s INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) bloc is trying their best to stop BJP’s winning run.

(With PTI inputs)