4-Time MP, Expelled MP And Ex-Cricketer: Phase 4’s Key Battles

One other 96 seats will go to the polls immediately because the Lok Sabha elections attain their midway mark by way of the variety of phases –  three levels of polling have been accomplished and three extra shall be left after immediately. Voters will resolve the destiny of candidates in 10 states, together with all 17 seats in Telangana. Andhra Pradesh will even see voting on all 25 of its Lok Sabha constituencies in addition to 175 Meeting seats. Meeting elections will start in Odisha too.

Here is a have a look at a few of the key contests:

Asaduddin Owaisi vs Madhavi Latha, Hyderabad

With a four-time sitting MP who continues to be thought-about in style contesting once more, the electoral battle for Hyderabad would ordinarily not have acquired a lot consideration. However the heated rhetoric and even theatrics, exemplified by the BJP candidate’s alleged gesture of capturing an imaginary arrow in the direction of a mosque – which has led to a case being filed towards her – has made the competition the discuss of the city.

In a single nook of the ring is All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi, who has been the MP from the constituency since 2004, and has been rising the margin of victory every time. He gained with a margin of simply over 1 lakh votes in 2004, which went as much as over 2.8 lakh within the final basic elections. One other factor working in his favour is that the Hyderabad constituency is a household stronghold and was held by Mr Owaisi’s father Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi since 1984.

Within the different nook is Madhavi Latha, chairperson of the Virinchi Hospitals chain. Although she is new to politics, the BJP is banking on her Hindutva credentials, expertise as a social activist and its robust organisational base to assist her win the constituency. 

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury vs Yusuf Pathan, Baharampur

The Baharampur constituency is one in all solely two that the Congress had gained in West Bengal within the 2019 Lok Sabha elections with the remaining 40 being break up between the Trinamool (22) and the BJP (18). This time, the Trinamool Congress has fielded former cricketer Yusuf Pathan towards Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the Congress’ Chief within the Lok Sabha.

Mr Chowdhury has been the MP from Baharampur since 1999 and the Congress is combating the polls in an alliance with the Left Entrance. The Congress and the Left Entrance are additionally a part of the INDIA bloc on the Centre, as is the Trinamool Congress, which is, nevertheless, contesting by itself in West Bengal. Regardless of the alliance, Mr Chowdhury is among the fiercest critics of the Trinamool Congress and its chairperson and Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee. The constituency is, thus, witnessing a status battle.

Yusuf Pathan is making his electoral debut and his brother Irfan Pathan, one in all India’s former ace pacers, additionally campaigned for him. The BJP has fielded Nirmal Kumar Saha, a neighborhood surgeon.

Mahua Moitra vs Amrita Roy, Krishnanagar

Two high-profile girls candidates are battling it out within the Krishnanagar constituency in West Bengal. The Trinamool Congress has backed Mahua Moitra, who was one of many loudest voices towards the BJP within the Lok Sabha however was expelled in December final 12 months after being accused of accepting bribes from businessman Darshan Hiranandani to ask questions in Parliament. 

She had denied all of the allegations and the Trinamool Congress, after initially sustaining silence, got here out in her help and occasion chief Mamata Banerjee known as her expulsion a “homicide of democracy”. Ms Banerjee additionally held up Ms Moitra’s hand at a rally in help of her earlier this month and a video through which the 2 leaders have been seen dancing had additionally gone viral.

Ms Moitra, who had gained towards the BJP’s Kalyan Chaubey by a margin of 60,000 votes final time, is being challenged by Amrita Roy, a member of Krishnanagar’s royal household. Individuals in Krishnanagar nonetheless have an emotional reference to the royal household and Ms Roy is affectionately known as Rajmata. The BJP’s resolution to discipline her was seen as a shock however she has emerged as a formidable challenger. 

The CPM candidate is SM Saadi and he could damage Ms Moitra’s prospects if he cuts into the Muslim vote. Muslims account for 26.76% of the constituency’s inhabitants.

Akhilesh Yadav vs Subrat Pathak, Kannauj

With the BJP trying to higher its determine of 62 out of 80 constituencies that it had gained in 2019, all eyes have been on Uttar Pradesh, components of which have been voting in each section of the election. Countering the BJP is the Samajwadi Social gathering, which has tied up with INDIA ally Congress this time, and is combating 63 seats.

The Samajwadi Social gathering chief, Akhilesh Yadav, is contesting from the occasion bastion of Kannauj on the insistence of occasion staff and the candidate who had been named – Mr Yadav’s nephew Tej Pratap Yadav – had been changed on the final minute. Kannauj had been gained by SP candidates since 1998 however the fortress had been breached by the BJP’s Subrat Pathak in 2019, who had defeated Akhilesh Yadav’s spouse, Dimple Yadav by a margin of about 12,000 votes. 

Kannauj was held by Mr Yadav thrice and his father, and Samajwadi Social gathering founder, Mulayam Singh Yadav, had additionally been an MP from the seat, making successful it all of the extra vital for the SP chief. 

Subrat Pathak, who’s the BJP candidate from the seat once more, has in contrast his contest with Mr Yadav to an India-Pakistan match and stated that will probably be an attention-grabbing one.