Lucknow: Early indicators indicate that the INDIA bloc is challenging the NDA in Uttar Pradesh. In Varanasi, Congress candidate Ajay Rai momentarily led Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Rahul Gandhi is ahead in Rae Bareli while Smriti Irani is lagging behind in Amethi.
The Uttar Pradesh Lok Sabha election for 80 constituencies was held in seven phases, with major actors including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the running.
In Uttar Pradesh, the BJP ran a joint campaign with regional parties such as the NISHAD party, Rashtriya Lok Dal, Apna Dal (Sonelal), and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party. The Ram Temple and other religious matters were major concerns for the BJP, especially in Uttar Pradesh, the Hindu reported.
Congress and the Samajwadi Party represented the INDIA alliance.
Its main concerns were economic anxiety, farmers' hardship, and the purported erosion of democratic and constitutional institutions under BJP control. Its leaders contended that the vote in 2024 was a vote to preserve Indian democracy, which they saw as being threatened by the BJP regime. Also, the INDIA alliance's appeal was dominated by the Caste Census.