Lok Sabha Election 2024, Phase 5: The 2024 Lok Sabha elections are heading into Its final stages, as phase 5 of the seven phases is scheduled to take place on Monday, May 20, 2024. A total of 49 constituencies will open their ballot boxes and EVMs across 6 states and 2 union territories. During phase 5, a number of high-profile candidates' fate will be sealed, only to be revealed during the final counting on Tuesday, June 4, 2024, as per the guidelines given by the Election Commission of India (ECI). The list of high-profile candidates during phase 5 includes names like Rahul Gandhi, Smriti Irani, Rajnath Singh and many more. Here is the list of the top 5 key candidates during the phase 5 polling of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, which will impact the outcomes of overall elections for their respective parties. Rahul Gandhi, INC (Rae Bareli, Uttar Pradesh) One of the biggest names that will be trying their luck in the field during phase 5 will be former Congress party president and also reportedly their Prime Minister face in 2024, Rahul Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi started his political career by contesting the Lok Sabha election from Amethi during the 2004 General Elections. Rahul won the election with a margin of around 1 lakh votes. He went on to retain his seat in the 2009 and 2014 Lok Sabha elections before losing it to BJP's Smriti Irani in the 2019 elections. However, in 2019, Rahul also contested from the Wayanad seat of Kerala, which he eventually won, keeping his title of an MP intact. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, along with his Wayanad seat, Rahul will also be contesting from Rae Bareli, which was a stronghold of his mother, Sonia Gandhi. The decision of Rahul to contest from Rae Bareli came after the sitting MP from that seat, Sonia Gandhi, decided not to contest the elections in 2024. Smriti Irani, BJP (Amethi, Uttar Pradesh) After starting her career as an actress, Smriti Irani joined the BJP in 2003 to kick off her political career. In the 14th Lok Sabha election in 2004, Smriti Irani unsuccessfully contested the election of Delhi's Chandni Chowk constituency against Kapil Sibal. After 10 10-year hiatus, Smriti once again contested the 16th Lok Sabha election from the Amethi seat only to lose to Rahul Gandhi. However, she finally won the 2019 Lok Sabha Election from Amethi after defeating the sitting MP Rahul Gandhi by 55000 votes. Smriti will once again be contesting the 18th Lok Sabha election for Amethi as a BJP candidate. Rajnath Singh, BJP (Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh) One of the most veteran politicians in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Rajnath Singh, who is a two-time sitting MP from Lucknow Lok Sabha constituency, will once again be contesting the election from his seat in a bid to retain his Lok Sabha seat for the second time in a row. Singh started his Lok Sabha journey during the 15th Lok Sabha election when he won from Ghaziabad seat. Singh shifted to Lucknow seat during the 16th Lok Sabha election and ended up winning by a significant margin. He went on to retain his seat in the subsequent election in 2019 to become a three-time member of the lower house of the Indian Parliament. Before making his way into Lok Sabha, Singh served as a Rajya Sabha MP and MLA in Uttar Pradesh on three separate occasions. Karan Bhusan Singh, BJP (Kaiserganj, Uttar Pradesh) After Brij Bhusan Saran Singh, the two-time sitting MP from Kaiserganj seat, was accused of sexual harassment by multiple wrestlers in 2023, the rumour of him losing the ticket in the upcoming elections started making its rounds, which was eventually the case. However, the BJP instead announced his son Karan Bhushan Singh as their new Lok Sabha candidate from the Kaiserganj seat. The candidature was heavily criticised by the wrestlers who protested against Brij Bhusan, stating that the power would still remain with Brij Bhusan. Karan is currently the president of the Wrestling Association of Uttar Pradesh. Rohini Acharaya, RJD (Saran, Bihar) Rohini Acharya, the daughter of veteran politician of Bihar and RJD supremo Lalu Yadav, will also be trying her luck in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections as an I.N.D.I.A alliance candidate from Bihar's Saran Lok Sabha seat. Rohini will be contesting her first-ever mainstream elections and will be representing the seat, which was once a stronghold of his father, Lalu Prasad Yadav. She will be challenging BJP's Rajiv Pratap Rudy, who is a two-time MP sitting in the Saran Lok Sabha constituency.
