Phase 1 polling: 8 Union ministers, 2 ex-CMs, in fray
What's the story
The high-stakes Lok Sabha poll battle will officially kick off on Friday, marking the start of voting for 102 seats across 21 states and Union territories in the first phase. Among the contenders are eight Union ministers, two former chief ministers, and a former governor. Here's a list of the high-profile candidates and their seats going to polls tomorrow.
Key candidates
Gadkari eyeing hattrick win
Union Road and Transport Minister, Nitin Gadkari, is seeking a third consecutive win from the Nagpur seat. He previously defeated seven-time MP Vilas Muttemwar in 2014 and Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole in 2019. Meanwhile, Kiren Rijiju, another union minister, is aiming for re-election from the Arunachal West seat which he has been representing since 2004. His main rival is Nabam Tuki, former chief minister and current president of Arunachal Pradesh Congress.
Election battles
More Union ministers in fray
In Assam's Dibrugarh, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbanada Sonowal is hoping to return to Lok Sabha after Rameswar Teli was denied a ticket. Muzaffarnagar will see a contest between Union Minister Sanjeev Baliyan, Samajwadi Party's Harindra Malik and Bahujan Samaj Party candidate Dara Singh Prajapati. Additionally, Jitendra Singh, a two-time parliamentarian and junior minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet, is eyeing a third win in Udhampur.
Election showdowns
Key contests in Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh
In Rajasthan's Alwar district, Union minister Bhupendra Yadav will face off against sitting Congress MLA Lalit Yadav. Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal is set to compete against former Congress minister Govind Ram Meghwal for the Bikaner seat. In Tamil Nadu's Nilgiris constituency, incumbent Dravida Munnetra Kazagham MP A Raja will go head-to-head with Union Minister of State for Fisheries L Murugan. Separately, Nakul Nath, son of former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath, is also seeking re-election from Chhindwara.
Election face-offs
High-profile contests in Tamil Nadu, Tripura
In the South, Sivaganga MP Karti Chidambaram is seeking re-election, with the BJP's T Devanathan Yadav and the AIADMK's Xavier Dass as his main rivals. Tamilisai Soundararajan—who recently stepped down as Telangana governor and Puducheery Lieutenant Governor—is contesting from Chennai South Lok Sabha constituency. The West Tripura seat will witness a battle between former CM Biplab Kumar Deb and state Congress president Ashish Kumar Saha. The results for the Lok Sabha polls will be out on June 4.