Barabanki LS polls: BJP's Rajrani Rawat to take on Congress' Tanuj Punia following Upendra Singh Rawat's exit

Barabanki (Uttar Pradesh) [India], May 19 : In Uttar Pradesh's Barabanki, which will go to the polls on Monday (May 20) in the fifth phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, the BJP has fielded Rajrani Rawat for the seat, while Congress has nominated Tanuj Punia as an INDIA bloc candidate.
The Barabanki constituency, an SC seat, is witnessing an interesting contest amidst the withdrawal of the BJP's sitting Member of Parliament, Upendra Singh Rawat, from the election race. Rawat's withdrawal came after the circulation of an alleged obscene video.
This Lok Sabha seat comprises six Assembly constituencies--Kursi, Ram Nagar, Barabanki, Zaidpur, and Haidargarh.
In 2019, Upendra Singh Rawat of BJP secured victory from Jhansi by garnering 535,917 votes (46.4 per cent), while SP's Ram Sagar Rawat garnered 425,777 votes (36.9 per cent). Congress' Tanuj Punia stood third with 159,611 votes (13.8 per cent).
Meanwhile, in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Priyanka Singh Rawat of BJP won the seat with 454,214 votes (42.5 per cent), while Congress' P.L. Punia secured 242,336 votes (22.7 per cent). BSP's Kamla Prasad Rawat came in third with 167,150 votes (15.6 per cent).
Notably, 2009 marked the comeback of Congress in Barabanki for the first time since 1984. P.L. Punia secured victory in Barabanki to become the first Congress candidate to win after 1984.
Rajrani Rawat, who is the District Panchayat President, will face the election battle for the first time. Meanwhile, the Congress-SP alliance's Tanuj Punia will face elections for the second time.
Taking to her official X handle, Rajrani Rawat urged the people to vote for the saffron party. "I salute all the respected people. I tried my best to reach out to all of you, I tried my best to knock on every village and house, but still, I could not reach some places... I request and appeal to all of you to once again, plant lotus in Barabanki," she said.
She added, "I will respect your vote, all-round development of Barabanki is our goal. All of you are requested to give your support and blessings by pressing the button on the lotus symbol on May 20 and make your Rajrani Rawat victorious with huge votes."
The BJP candidate in her campaign also targeted the opposition and said, "Those who looted the country, those who demanded proof of the valor of the army, those who questioned the existence of Ram, those who set a record of scams, have come together today to form a 'Thugbandhan', you all should be cautious of them."
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing public rallies in Barabanki, also blasted the Congress and SP and targeted them over the matter of Ram Temple in Ayodhya and the divisive, appeasement, and anarchic policies of the Congress and INDI alliance.
Meanwhile, Congress' Tanuj Punia is targeting the BJP over jobs, the Constitution, and democracy. "After the fourth phase of voting, it has become completely clear that the public is making the INDIA win. In the fourth phase itself, BJP's slogan of crossing 400 should be read as 4 because the public has started the countdown for them. The public is defeating the ones who are playing with farmers, youth, businessmen, employees, students, women, sportspersons, jobs, livelihood, Constitution and democracy...," Punia said In a post on X.
In another post, Punia urged people to vote for the Congress and said, "Defeat inflation, unemployment, hatred and injustice with your one vote. Press the hand button on May 20, vote for Congress."
Notably, SP and Congress are allies in the opposition INDIA bloc formed to take on the BJP in the ongoing 2024 general elections.
In the 2019 polls, the BJP emerged triumphant, securing 62 out of 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh, while two seats were clinched by its ally Apna Dal (S). Mayawati's BSP managed to secure 10 seats, while Akhilesh Yadav's SP garnered five, and the Congress Party secured only one seat.
In the 2014 elections, the BJP secured 71 out of 80 seats. SP secured five seats, while Congress garnered only two seats.