Key Candidates In The Spotlight: Lok Sabha Elections Enter Sixth Phase

As the 2024 Lok Sabha elections approach the decisive phase, several renowned figures, from student leaders to political heavyweights, are in the fray, making it a closely watched contest.

Outlook Web Desk

Updated on: 25 May 2024 6:04 am

Left - Kanhaiya Kumar, Centre - Mehbooba Mufti, Right - Sambit Patra

As the 2024 Lok Sabha election is moving towards its final phase, it is heading towards an interesting turn. May 25 marks the sixth phase of the election in which the future of many famous candidates will be decided whether they will be able to reach the Parliament or not. These names include former JNU students union president Kanhaiya Kumar, BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra, former Haryana chief minister Bhupendra Hooda's son and Rajya Sabha MP Deepender Hooda, and former Delhi chief minister Sushma Swaraj's daughter Bansuri Swaraj.

Here are the key candidates in the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha elections:

Kanhaiya Kumar: Kumar is contesting the election from the North East Delhi seat on a Congress ticket. He was the student union president of Jawaharlal Nehru University from 2015 to 2016, his name came into the headlines when he was accused of allegedly raising anti-national slogans in the JNU campus in February 2016. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Kanhaiya contested from Begusarai seat on a CPI ticket against BJP's Giriraj Singh and lost by more than four lakh votes. BJP has fielded two times and incumbent MP Manoj Tiwari from Northeast Delhi seat.

Sambit Patra: Sambit Patra is contesting elections from the Puri constituency of Odisha on BJP’s ticket, he has been the national spokesperson of the BJP for the last 10 years, a doctor by profession, Patra also contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Puri but at that time he lost the election to Pinaki Mishra of Biju Janata Dal by about 11000 votes, his margin of defeat was 1.03 percent. This time he is facing Jai Narayan Patnaik of Congress and Arup Patnaik of BJD on the Puri Lok Sabha seat.

Bansuri Swaraj: Bansuri Swaraj is the daughter of former Delhi Chief Minister and BJP leader Sushma Swaraj and is contesting elections for the first time. The BJP has fielded her against Aam Aadmi Party's Somnath Bharti from the New Delhi Lok Sabha seat.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during a rally for Lok Sabha elections at Ashok Vihar on May 18, 2024 in New Delhi - (Photo by Ajay Aggarwal via Getty Images)

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Mehbooba Mufti: People's Democratic Party president and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti is contesting from Anantnag-Rajouri constituency against National Conference's Mian Altaf Ahmed Larvi. Mehbooba is the daughter of former J&K chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and was an MP from this seat from 2004 to 2009. Before becoming the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir in 2016, she was again an MP from this seat from 2014 to 2016.

M.L Khattar: Former Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar is contesting from Karnal Lok Sabha seat on BJP ticket, he is facing Divyanshu Budhiraja of Congress. Khattar started his political career with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, after which he became the Chief Minister of the state after BJP won the elections in Haryana in 2014. Recently he was removed from the post of Chief Minister and Nayab Singh Saini was made the Chief Minister of Haryana.
Deependra Singh Hooda: Deepender Hooda is contesting the election from Rohtak on a Congress ticket. He has been an MP from this seat twice from 2009 to 2019. He lost the election to BJP's Arvind Kumar Sharma by about 7000 votes. His margin of defeat was less than 1 percent. Deepender is currently a Rajya Sabha MP and is the son of former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.