The Congress party has announced the renomination of Ajai Rai as its candidate from the Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency for the upcoming elections, marking his third direct contest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Rai, who serves as the Uttar Pradesh (UP) Congress chief, previously contested against PM Modi in 2014 and 2019 but was unsuccessful on both occasions.
The decision to field Rai underscores the party’s strategy to challenge PM Modi in his stronghold constituency, where he is seeking a historic third term with significant backing from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Ajai Rai’s political journey has been notable, starting with his association with the BJP’s students’ wing and winning three terms in the UP assembly from 1996 to 2007. However, he later switched to the Samajwadi Party after being denied a Lok Sabha ticket by the BJP in 2009, albeit without success in the elections. Rai eventually joined the Congress three years later.
Apart from Rai, the Congress has nominated several other candidates in Uttar Pradesh. Kunwar Danish Ali, a recent addition to the party, will contest from Amroha. Ramnath Sikarwar is set to face BJP’s Raj Kumar Chahar in Fatehpur Sikri, while Imran Masood, who returned to Congress after stints with the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party, will contest from Saharanpur. In Barabanki, Dalit leader PL Punia’s son Tanuj has been nominated, challenging the current BJP representative Upendra Singh Rawat.
Additionally, former junior minister Pradeep Jain Aditya will represent the Congress from Jhansi, and Alok Mishra has been chosen as the candidate from Kanpur.
The nomination of these candidates reflects the Congress party’s efforts to field a diverse lineup and contest vigorously in the upcoming elections, particularly in key constituencies such as Varanasi and others across Uttar Pradesh.
Sources By Agencies