Rajnath Singh files nomination from Lucknow

The rath showcasing “development projects” undertaken in the parliamentary constituency such as the new airport terminal, flyovers and road projects was welcomed by different organisations and communities. The BJP had made elaborate arrangements with the road leading from the party office to the collectorate decorated with flags, banners and buntings, giving the city a festive look.

As the procession moved, the party supporters chanted the slogans of “abki baar 5 lakh paar” and “abki baar 400 paar”, referring to the targets of Singh winning by a margin of 5 lakh and the BJP-led NDA crossing the 400-seat mark. Rajnath filed his nomination papers at the Lucknow collectorate office around 12 noon.

Before the roadshow, the Defence Minister offered prayers at the Hanuman Setu temple in the city. Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Ministers Brajesh Pathak and Keshav Prasad Maurya also accompanied him during the roadshow.

Earlier, CM Pushkar Dhami said, “We have all seen Lucknow changing and development projects being executed here. The projects started by Atal ji (former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee) were completed during Rajnath ji’s tenures (as MP). Moreover, the entire country has decided to make Narendra Modi the Prime Minister again, while the Opposition parties are contesting to save their own families.”

Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajyapee had in the past represented the Lucknow constituency.

In the 2019 election, Singh defeated Samajwadi Party’s Poonam Sinha while in 2014, he defeated Congress candidate Rita Bahuguna Joshi. Before contesting his first election from Lucknow in 2014, Singh won the Lok Sabha polls from Ghaziabad in 2009.

Voting in the Lucknow seat will be held in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections on May 20.

The Samajwadi Party has fielded Ravidas Mehrotra from this seat.