Lok Sabha Elections: Milind Deora, Manvendra Singhcontest Phase 4 of Lok Sabha polls
Celebrities, seasoned politicians, an unusually famous student leader and even several members of former royal families are just some of the personalities who will battle it out in 72 constituencies going to vote in the fourth phase of the national elections today. Spread across nine states and a 12-crore electorate, these constituencies represent some of the most critical ones for any party that wants to come to power when votes are counted for seven-phase polls on May 23.
Here are the key constituencies which have high-profile candidates contesting the Phase 4 of Lok Sabha Elections 2019:
Begusarai, Bihar
Bihar's Begusarai, a Left stronghold, was once called the Leningrad of Bihar. This time it will be a battle of David against Goliath, with student leader and former JNU student Kanhaiya Kumar contesting on a CPI ticket against Union Minister Giriraj Singh. While Mr Kumar has received support from high-profile Bollywood celebrities, Mr Singh is banking on his party's nationalist plank to win from the Leningrad of Bihar.
Lok Sabha Election 2019: Student leader Kanhaiya Kumar is contesting from one of the most high-profile constituencies this time, Bihar's Begusarai, also known as the Leningrad of Bihar (File Photo)
Maharashtra-
In Maharashtra, the key constituencies to watch out for are Mumbai North, Mumbai North Central and Mumbai South.
Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Veteran actor Urmila Matondkar is contesting the 2019 elections from Mumbai North (File Photo)
Mumbai North
One of the most keenly-observed battles in this phase of elections will be in Mumbai North. Veteran actor Urmila Matondkar, who threw her hat in the ring of politics a month back, will be fighting the Lok Sabha election from Mumbai North. She will be taking on BJP's sitting parliamentarian Gopal Shetty. Mr Shetty had won the 2014 election against Sanjay Nirupam by over 4 lakh votes.
Mumbai North Central
Another high-profile constituency in the fourth phase is Mumbai North Central, which will see the return of its 2014 candidates, Priya Dutt and Poonam Mahajan. Poonam Mahajan is the daughter of late Union Minister and senior BJP leader Pramod Mahajan, whereas Priya Dutt is the daughter of veteran actor and Congress politician Sunil Dutt and the sister of actor Sanjay Dutt. Ms Dutt had lost the election to Ms Mahajan the last time, but she feels she will make a comeback this time. With 18 lakh voters, the constituency comprises of the assembly segments of Vile Parle, Chandivali, Kurla, Kalina, Bandra East and Bandra West.
General Elections 2019: Congress's Priya Dutt is hoping to win against the BJP's Poonam Mahajan from Mumbai North Central (File Photo)
Mumbai South
Congress leader Milind Deora, son of late Union Minister Murli Deora is fighting from Mumbai South against the Shiv Sena's Arvind Sawant, who had defeated him by a margin of 1.28 lakh votes in 2014. However, what makes this poll battle interesting is the endorsement of Mr Deora by two high-profile industrialists, Mukesh Ambani and Uday Kotak. The Congress is banking this time on the votes of small businessmen who have felt the shocks of the notes ban and demonetisation.
Election 2019: Milind Deora has received endorsement from high-profile industrialists like Mukesh Ambani and Uday Kotak. He is contesting from Mumbai South (File Photo)
Maval
The poll battle from Maharashtra's Maval will see the electoral debut of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar's grandnephew, Parth Pawar. He will go against Shrirang Barne of the Shiv Sena. The Shiv Sena had earlier won this seat in 2009.
Rajasthan-
The key constituencies in Rajasthan will see the sons of eminent politicians of the desert state contest the elections. The constituencies are: Jodhpur, Barmer and Jhalawer-Baran.
Jodhpur
Jodhpur will see Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's son Vaibhav Gehlot contest from this seat against Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. While Mr Shekhawat won from Jodhpur in 2014, Ashok Gehlot has won from here five times since 1980.
Barmer
Former senior BJP leader Jaswant Singh's son Manvendra Singh is contesting elections from Barmer on a Congress ticket. Relations between Jaswant Singh, Manvendra Singh and the BJP had soured after both were denied a ticket from the party in 2014. Manvendra Singh, who lost last year's assembly elections to former chief minister Vasundhara Raje from Jhalarapatan, is facing off against Kailash Choudhry this time.
Jhalawar-Baran
Vasundhara Raje's son Dushyant Singh is contesting from Jhalawar-Baran, a constituency which Ms Raje has won from five times. Congress has fielded Pramod Sharma from the seat. Mr Sharma was a former leader with the BJP's student wing ABVP.
Elections 2019: Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje's son is contesting from Jhalawar-Baran on a BJP ticket (File Photo)
Uttar Pradesh
The key constituencies from Uttar Pradesh for this phase of the Lok Sabha elections are Unnao and Kannauj.
Unnao
BJP lawmaker Sakshi Maharaj, known for many controversial statements, is contesting the elections this time, aiming for another term. Congress's Annu Tandon is contesting from this seat against Sakshi Maharaj. She hopes to get a boost after Priyanka Gandhi Vadra campaigned for her in this constituency.
Lok Sabha Election 2019: BJP candidate Sakshi Maharaj, known for his controversial statements, is contesting from Unnao, Uttar Pradesh (File Photo)
Kannauj
Dimple Yadav, the sitting parliamentarian from Kannauj is hoping for a victory this time again, after winning from here twice before. Ms Yadav, who is the wife of Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, has represented the Lok Sabha seat since 2012, after Mr Yadav vacated the seat for her. She was elected unopposed from 2012 in a by-election after all major political parties decided to skip the election. Akhilesh Yadav's father Mulayam Singh Yadav has also represented this seat before.
Asansol, West Bengal
The most high-profile constituency from West Bengal during the fourth phase of elections is Asansol. The constituency will see a protracted battle between veteran actor Moon Moon Sen, who is contesting on a ticket from Trinamool and singer and BJP leader Babul Supriyo. The BJP has made inroads into the constituency, which shares borders with Jharkhand. The BJP had won from here in 2014.
Lok Sabha Polls 2019: Babul Supriyo is contesting from West Bengal's Asansol, a seat where the BJP has made inroads
Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath has won from Chhindwara, named after the wild date palm tree known as Chhind, nine times before. This time, however, his son Nakul Nath is contesting from this seat against the BJP's Nathan Shah Kavreti. The father-son combine are both making debuts, with Nakul making his political debut this time and his father contesting the assembly polls for the first time in his 40-year career. Nathan Shah Kavareti invoked the recent income tax raids against the aides of Kamal Nath to say his campaign "is a fight between the poor and the mafia who have money".
Apart from these constituencies, some other key constituencies are Maharashtra's Nashik, which will see Sameer Bhujbal, nephew of NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal contesting, Mumbai North West which has Sanjay Nirupam contesting, Uttar Pradesh's Farrukhabad, which has former Union Minister Salman Khurshid contesting, Kanpur, which sees a fight between Congress's Sriprakash Jaiswal and BJP's Satyadev Pachauri, Odisha's Kendrapara, from where ex-BJD leader and current BJP leader Baijayant Panda is contesting from, Rajasthan's Rajsamand, where former royal family member Diya Kumari is contesting from and Tonk-Sawai Madhopur, which is being contested by Namo Narain Meena.