Lok Sabha Polls 2019: From Sonia Gandhi to Rajnath Singh, key contests in Round 5

Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Voters in 51 constituencies will use their right to vote on May 6 in the fifth phase of the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections. Seven states will go for polls in the fifth phase. The states which are going for polls are Uttar Pradesh (14/80 seats), Rajasthan (12/25 seats), Madhya Pradesh (7/29 seats), West Bengal (7/42 seats), Bihar (5/40 seats), Jharkhand (4/14 seats) and Jammu and Kashmir (2/6 seats). Some of the key constituencies in the fifth phase of elections are Lucknow, Amethi and Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh, Nagaur, Jaipur Rural and Alwar in Rajasthan, Damoh and Satna in Madhya Pradesh, Khunti and Hazaribagh in Jharkhand. Several prominent candidates are in the fray in the fifth phase of elections – Sonia Gandhi, Rajnath Singh, Rahul Gandhi, Smriti Irani, Poonam Sinha, Jitin Prasada, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Hanuman Beniwal, Jyoti Mirdha, Dinesh Trivedi, Jayant Sinha, Babulal Marandi, Arjun Munda, Jitendra Singh, Krishna Poonia, Prahlad Patel and Rajiv Pratap Rudy. Let's see the state-wise key constituencies and prominent candidates in detail. 

Phase 5: May 6 (51 Lok Sabha seats in 7 states/UTs)

Lok Sabha Elections 2019: List of key contests in fifth phase of voting

Key contests of 2019 Lok Sabha Elections Phase 5 in Uttar Pradesh

1. Lucknow (2014 Result: BJP, Winner: Rajnath Singh, Margin: 2,72,749) 
2019 candidates: Rajnath Singh (BJP) Vs Pramod Krishnam (Congress) Vs Poonam Sinha (SP)

Lucknow has been a stronghold of the BJP and it has never lost an election since 1991. Atal Bihari Vajpayee won the seat for the first time in 1991 and again represented it in 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2004. In 2009, Lalji Tandon won the seat for the party. Rajnath Singh fought from the seat for the first time in 2014 and defeated Congress candidate Rita Bhauguna Joshi by over 2,70,000 votes. Joshi is now in the BJP and contesting from Allahabad. Rajnath is again in the fray and facing Poonam Sinha and Pramod Krishnam. The Congress last represented the seat in 1984 when Sheila Kaul got elected.

2. Amethi (2014 Result: Congress, Winner: Rahul Gandhi, Margin: 1,07,903)
2019 candidates: Rahul Gandhi (Congress) Vs Smriti Irani (BJP)

Amethi has been a Congress bastion since the first Lok Sabha polls as the party lost the seat only twice in 1977 and 1998. In 1998, BJP's Sanjay Singh won the prestigious seat for the party for the first time. Rajiv Gandhi won the seat four times in 1981 (bypoll), 1984, 1989 and 1991 (he was assassinated before the declaration of results). Satish Sharma represented the constituency twice in 1991 and 1996 whereas Sonia Gandhi once in 1999. Rahul Gandhi has been representing the seat since 2004 and is trying his luck for the fourth term this time. BJP's Smriti Irani, who gave Rahul Gandhi a close fight in 2014, will be taking on the Congress chief again.

3. Rae Bareli (2014 Result: Congress, Winner: Sonia Gandhi, Margin: 3,52,713)
2019 candidates: Sonia Gandhi (Congress) Vs Dinesh Pratap Singh (BJP)

Like Amethi, Rae Bareli is another Congress fiefdom in Uttar Pradesh. Sonia Gandhi has been representing the seat since 2004 and is again contesting the polls. However, BJP's Ashok Singh won the seat twice in 1996 and 1998. Former prime minister Indira Gandhi represented the constituency twice in 1967 and 1971 before she was defeated by Raj Narain in 1977. In 2014, Sonia Gandhi won the seat with a huge margin of over 3,50,000 votes.

4. Bahraich (2014 Result: BJP, Winner: Savitri Bai Phule, Margin: 95,645) 
2019 candidates: Savitri Bai Phule (Congress) Vs Shabbir Ahmad (SP) Vs Akshaibar Lal (BJP)

In 2014, BJP candidate Savitri Bai Phule won the seat with a margin of over 95,000 votes but now Phule is in the Congress. She will be contesting against BJP's Akshaibar Lal and SP's Shabbir Ahmad. In the last seven elections, the BJP represented the seat four times in 1991, 1996, 1999 and 2014 whereas the BSP, the SP and the Congress won the seat in 1998, 2004 and 2009 respectively. Former Union minister Arif Mohammed Khan won the seat thrice.

5. Dhaurahra (2014 Result: BJP, Winner: Rekha Verma, Margin: 1,25,675)
2019 candidates: Jitin Prasada (Congress) Vs Rekha Verma (BJP) Vs Arshad Iliyas Siddiqui (BSP)

Former Union minister and Congress leader Jitin Prasada is again facing BJP's Rekha Verma in Dhaurahra. In 2014, Rekha Verma won the seat with a good margin of over 1,25,000 votes and Prasada came at the fourth spot. Prasada represented the seat in 2009 and before the delimitation process represented the Shahjahanpur seat also in 2004.

Key contests of 2019 Lok Sabha Elections Phase 5 in Rajasthan 

1. Bikaner (2014 Result: BJP, Winner: Arjun Ram Meghwal, Margin: 3,08,079)
2019 candidates: Arjun Ram Meghwal (BJP) Vs Madangopal Meghwal (Congress) 

BJP's Arjun Ram Meghwal will try to win the Bikaner seat for the third consecutive time. In 2014, Meghwal won the seat by over 3 lakh votes. In the last seven elections, the BJP represented the seat four times in 1996, 2004, 2009 and 2014 whereas the Congress won it in 1991, 1998 and 1999. Actor Dharmendra won the seat for the BJP in 2004 while Maharaja Karni Singh represented the seat five times in 1952, 1957, 1962, 1967 and 1971 as an Independent candidate.

2. Jaipur Rural (2014 Result: BJP, Winner: Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Margin: 3,32,896) 
2019 candidates: Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore (BJP) Vs Krishna Poonia (Congress)

Union Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, who won the Jaipur Rural seat in 2014 by over 3,30,000 votes, is taking on another Olympian Krishna Poonia this time. Poonia is the Congress legislator from Sadulpur Assembly seat. In 2014, the Olympic shooting silver medalist defeated Congress heavyweight CP Joshi. In 2009, the seat was represented by the Congress party. 

3. Alwar (2014 Result: BJP, Winner: Chand Nath, Margin: 2,83,895) 
2019 candidates: Jitendra Singh (Congress) Vs Balak Nath (BJP)

The Congress won the Alwar seat in a 2018 bypoll when its candidate Karan Singh Yadav defeated BJP's Jaswant Singh Yadav by over 1,95,000 votes. In 2014, the seat was won by BJP's Chand Nath who defeated Jitendra Singh by over 2,80,000 votes. However, Chand Nath died in 2018 and this necessitated the bypoll in the constituency. The BJP has decided to field Chand Nath's successor Balak Nath this time whereas the Congress has again given its ticket to Jitendra Singh. In the last eight Lok Sabha elections, the Congress represented the seat five times in 1996, 1998, 2004, 2009 and 2018 (bypoll) whereas the BJP won the seat three times in 1991, 1999 and 2014.

4. Nagaur (2014 Result: BJP, Winner: CR Choudhary, Margin: 75,218) 
2019 candidates: Jyoti Mirdha (Congress) Vs Hanuman Beniwal (RLP)

The Nagaur seat was once considered as the bastion of the Congress as the party won it even during the anti-Indira wave in 1977. However, the BJP won the seat for the first time in a 1997 bypoll. The party again won it in 2004 and 2014. The saffron party has decided not to field its incumbent MP CR Choudhary this time and entered into an alliance with the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP). Hanuman Beniwal is taking on Congress candidate Jyoti Mirdha. 

Key contests of 2019 Lok Sabha Elections Phase 5 in Madhya Pradesh 

1. Damoh (2014 Result: BJP, Winner: Prahlad Patel, Margin: 2,13,299)
2019 candidates: Prahlad Patel (BJP) Vs Pratap Singh Lodhi (Congress)

In 2014, BJP's Prahlad Patel defeated Congress candidate Mahendra Pratap Singh by over 2 lakh votes in Damoh. Patel is again in the fray and will be taking on Congress leader Pratap Singh Lodhi this time. The BJP has been winning the seat since 1989 whereas the Congress last won it in 1984.

Key contests of 2019 Lok Sabha Elections Phase 5 in West Bengal 

1. Barrackpur (2014 Result: Trinamool, Winner: Dinesh Trivedi, Margin: 2,06,773)
2019 candidates: Dinesh Trivedi (Trinamool) Vs Gargi Chatterjee (CPM) Vs Arjun Singh (BJP) Vs Md Alam (Congress)

Trinamool Congress leader and former railway minister Dinesh Trivedi is locked in a fierce battle with BJP's Arjun Singh this time. Singh was the four-time Trinamool MLA before he joined the BJP. Trivedi won the seat in 2009 and 2014. CPM's Tarit Baran Topdar represented the constituency six times in 1989, 1991, 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2004. Congress candidate Md Alam and CPM's Gargi Chatterjee are also in the fray.

Key contests of 2019 Lok Sabha Elections Phase 5 in Bihar

1. Saran (2014 Result: BJP, Winner: Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Margin: 40,948)
2019 candidates: Rajiv Pratap Rudy (BJP) Vs Chandrika Rai (RJD)

BJP leader Rajiv Pratap Rudy is the sitting MP from Saran and defeated Lalu Prasad's wife and former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi in 2014 by over 40,000 votes. Lalu's relative Chandrika Rai is taking on Rudy this time. In 2009, Lalu represented the seat when he defeated Rudy.

Key contests of 2019 Lok Sabha Elections Phase 5 in Jharkhand

1. Khunti (2014 Result: BJP, Winner: Karia Munda, Margin: 92,248)
2019 candidates: Arjun Munda (BJP) Vs Kalicharan Munda (Congress)

Jharkhand's Khunti is a BJP stronghold and party leader Karia Munda represented the seat eight times in 1977 (as a Janata Party candidate), 1989, 1991, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2009 and 2014. However, the BJP has decided to replace Karia Munda with former state chief minister Arjun Munda this time. The Congress has again fielded Kalicharan Munda against Arjun Munda.

2. Kodarama (2014 Result: BJP, Winner: Ravindra Kumar Ray, Margin: 98,654)
2019 candidates: Annapurna Devi Yadav (BJP) Vs Babulal Marandi (JVM)

Former Jharkhand chief minister and JVM president Babulal Marandi, who represented the seat thrice, is taking on BJP's Annapurna Devi Yadav. The BJP has dropped its sitting MP Ravindra Kumar Ray this time and fielded Annapurna, who was a former state president of the RJD. Marandi won the seat in 2004, 2006 (bypoll) and 2009. In 2014, BJP's Ray defeated CPI-ML's Raj Kumar Yadav by over 98,000 votes, while Marandi could get only the third position. Raj Kumar is again in the fray.

3. Hazaribagh (2014 Result: BJP, Winner: Jayant Sinha, Margin: 1,59,128)
2019 candidates: Bhubneshwar Prasad Mehta (CPI) Vs Gopal Sahu (Congress) Vs Jayant Sinha (BJP)

Union Minister Jayant Sinha will try to get a second term from Hazaribagh. In 2014, Jayant defeated Congress candidate Saurabh Narayan Singh by over 1,59,000 votes. The seat was represented by Jayant's father Yashwant Sinha thrice in 1998, 1999 and 2009. CPI's Bhubneshwar Prasad Mehta, who won the seat in 1991 and 2004, is again contesting the elections. The Congress last represented the the seat in 1984.