Who Is Ajay Rai, The Congress Candidate Challenging PM Modi In Varanasi?

As per the released fourth list of 45 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections by the Congress party, notable decisions were included the selection of the party's Uttar Pradesh chief, Ajay Rai, as a candidate to contest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi.

Additionally, former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh has been chosen to run from the Rajgarh constituency.

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Furthermore, Danish Ali has been named as the Congress candidate for the Amroha constituency, while Imran Masood and Alok Mishra have been designated to contest from Saharanpur and Kanpur respectively. These decisions mark significant developments in the party's preparation for the upcoming elections.

Who is Ajay Rai?

1. Commencing his political career with the ABVP, the student wing affiliated with the RSS, Ajay Rai achieved notable success in the UP legislative assembly elections, securing victory three times consecutively from the Kolasla constituency between 1996 and 2007 while representing the BJP.

2. Rai's departure from the BJP came about after he was denied a Lok Sabha ticket, prompting his decision to join the Samajwadi Party.

3. Making a transition to the Congress party in 2012, Rai, a five-time MLA, contested and won the UP assembly elections from the Pindra constituency. However, his bid for reelection in 2017 as a Congress candidate resulted in defeat.

4. Despite contesting against PM Modi in the Varanasi parliamentary constituency during both the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Rai faced defeat on both occasions.

5. In August 2023, Rai was appointed as the new president of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC), succeeding Dalit leader Brijlal Khabri.

Regarding the Lok Sabha elections, voting for the 543 parliamentary constituencies will take place in seven phases, commencing on April 19 and concluding on June 1. Vote counting is scheduled for June 4, with polling for each phase occurring on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1, respectively.