Key constituencies in Phase 5 of Lok Sabha polls

IANS  |  New Delhi 

A total of 51 seats will go to the polls on Monday in the fifth phase of elections spread across seven states.

IANS takes a look at the key constituencies going to the polls on Monday.

(Uttar Pradseh)

Key contestants: (Congress), (BJP)

Main issues and factors: It is perhaps the most eagerly-watched contest of the 2019 polls with Union expected to give a tough fight to

Both the and the have put their might in the campaign. Gandhi's campaign was bolstered by his Gandhi's winning margin had come down considerably when Irani first contested against him from here in 2014.

Irani's campaign was boosted and who held rallies in the constituency. The result and the margin of victory here will have consequences at the national level. While the has accused Gandhi of not developing the area, the has accused the BJP-led government of stalling projects.

(Uttar Pradseh)

Key contestants: (Congress), (BJP)

Main issues and factors: For the first time is contesting from when she is not Her campaign was mainly handled by her daughter and son

Her rival is an ex-who now accuses his former party of dynastic enjoys a lot of goodwill among the people in the constituency which in the past had elected former to the Lok Sabha. Though it appears an easy contest for Sonia Gandhi, the final outcome of this high-profile seat will be keenly watched.

(Uttar Pradesh)

Key contestants: (BJP), Poonam Sinha (Samajwadi Party), Acharya Pramod Krishnam (Congress)

Main issues and factors: appears to be placed comfortably in this seat given his efforts to reach out to all the communities. The BJP is also expected to benefit from the legacy of former late who represented the seat.

Poonam Sinha is the wife of and her campaign got a boost with the participation of her daughter and Bollywood star Sonakshi Sinha.

Saran (Bihar)

Key contestants: (BJP), (RJD)

Main factors and issues: Former is a and has a bigger national profile as compared to of the The seat has been a traditional stronghold for the RJD.

Rai, the estranged of RJD Lalu Prasad's elder son Tej Pratap, has good connections at the grassroot level. Rabri Devi, the wife of who is presently in jail in connection with the fodder scam case, had lost to Rudy in the 2014 elections. had also won from here before and the seat is a prestige battle for the RJD.

Ladakh (J&K)

Key candidates: Jamyang (BJP), Rigzin Spalbar (Congress), (Independent), Haji Asgar (Independent)

Main factors and issues: Ladakh is geographically the largest parliamentary constituency in the country but smallest in terms of population. The region, where the demand for Union Territory status has been predominant for years, will see a four-cornered contest.

The seat was last time won by BJP's who defeated by just 36 votes. Chhewang, however, resigned from the party accusing it of not fulfilling the promises made to the people of Ladakh.

BJP candidate is the Executive Councillor (CEC) of the (LAHDC). is being supported by the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), both of which have not fielded any candidate from here.

Hazaribagh (Jharkhand)

Key contestants: (BJP), (Congress)

Main issues and factors: and sitting BJP is facing a tough battle in this seat. His father, former Yashwant Sinha, is no longer in the BJP. had told the voters after filing his nomination that if they voted for him, they will get two more important leaders for free -- his father and Prime Minister

forming an alliance here with the Mukti Morcha (JMM) and the Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) has mounted the pressure on Sinha.

Jaipur Rural (Rajasthan)

Key contestants: Rathore (BJP), (Congress)

Main factors and issues: It is a riveting contest between two Olympians. and sitting BJP Rathore is an articulate leader whose profile has grown in the government.

Rathore, the ace shooter who has an Olympic silver medal to his name, will face a formidable opponent in Congress' Krishna Poonia, a discuss thrower whose best showing was a sixth-place finish at the 2012 London

While Poonia, a sitting MLA from Sadulpur, is talking about the welfare measures being undertaken by the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government in in the last four months, including farm loan waiver, Rathore is talking about the works done by the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre.

Nagaur (Rajasthan)

Key contestants: Hanuman Beniwal (Rashtriya Loktantrik Party, an ally of BJP), (Congress)

Main issues and factors: Nagaur has been a traditional Congress stronghold and is the only seat the BJP is not contesting in While local equations favour Congress' Jyoti Mirdha, a former MP, Hanuman Beniwal of the RLP has strong connect with the youth. His party had won three seats in the Assembly polls held in December last year.

Like other constituencies in the state, the narrative here is also about Narendra Modi. Mirdha, the grand duaghter of Nathu Ram Mirdha, had won from here in 2009. The constituency has a sizeable population of Dalits and minorities.

Barrackpore (West Bengal)

Key contestants: (Trinamool Congress), (BJP), (CPI-M), (Congress)

Main issues and factors: Former Railway Minister is taking on his erstwhile "election-manager" Arjun Singh, who crossed over to the BJP in March after he was denied the ticket from Barrackpore by the Trinamool leadership.

Singh's desertion has made cosmopolitan Barrackpore -- an industrial belt with 35-40 per cent non-Bengali voters mostly working in the jute mills and 17 per cent people from the minority community -- an eye-grabbing seat with 15 candidates in fray.

Trivedi feels he will get the votes for the development works undertaken by the government. Singh, on the other hand, said he was "200 per cent sure" of victory as people "hardly knew Trivedi who may finish third". The CPI-M is hoping to emerge as the proverbial dark horse in this seat.

Hooghly (West Bengal)

Key contestants: Ratna De Nag (Trinamool Congress), (BJP), (CPI-M) and Pratul (Congress)

Main issues and factors: Singur, from where Minister launched her anti-land acquisition agitation, is one of the seven Assembly segments under this parliamentary constituency. Ratna De Nag is hopeful that her work and that of the government will see her through. Locket Chatterjee, an actor-turned-politician, who is also the chief of BJP's women wing in West Bengal, is putting up a spirited fight in what was earlier a Left bastion.

--IANS

ps/arm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

First Published: Sun, May 05 2019. 21:44 IST