The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has maintained a stronghold on the Lucknow Lok Sabha constituency since 1991, when it was first won by party veteran and former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Vajpayee held the seat through five consecutive terms until 2009. His close associate, Lalji Tandon, succeeded him in 2009, followed by Rajnath Singh, who won in 2014 and 2019. Singh is now aiming for a third consecutive win in the upcoming election on May 20, seeking a victory margin of over 500,000 votes.
In 2014, Singh secured 54.43% of the votes, increasing to 56.64% in 2019, winning by a margin of 350,000 votes against SP candidate Poonam Sinha. Despite the SP-BSP alliance in 2019, Singh garnered more votes than the combined opposition and Congress, which together totaled 462,000 votes.
This year, Singh faces Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA Ravidas Mehrotra and BSP’s Sarwar Malik. Notably, Singh is the fourth non-Brahmin MP from Lucknow, following BK Dhaon, Lalji Tandon, and Mandhata Singh. In 2014, Singh contested against Brahmin candidates from the SP, BSP, and Congress. This year, none of the major parties have fielded a Brahmin candidate, indicating a shift away from caste-based voting. The constituency comprises over 400,000 Muslims, an equal number of Brahmins, and over 200,000 Kayasthas.
Ravidas Mehrotra, a veteran socialist, has been a legislator since 1989 and has been jailed over 250 times, primarily for ‘breach of peace.’ Sarwar Malik started in student politics in 2012, ran for the Lok Sabha from Lucknow on a TMC ticket in 2014, and joined the BSP in 2015. He contested the 2022 state elections from the Lucknow North assembly seat.
While the opposition candidates are working hard to make an impact, Rajnath Singh is banking on his development agenda to secure a significant victory margin. Despite this, many non-BJP supporters are unaware of the opposition candidates. A shopkeeper in Indiranagar mentioned, “I don’t know who the opposition has fielded. We haven’t seen any opposition candidate campaigning here. However, the INDIA bloc seems to be gaining public support.”
Singh’s popularity cuts across caste and religious lines. In Indiranagar’s Bhootnath Market, Aslam, a flower shop owner, noted that many in the minority community support Singh due to his image and the prestige of having a defense minister represent them. Vishal Singh, an entrepreneur, praised Singh’s dignified demeanor and contributions to local infrastructure, such as Shaheed Path and Outer Ring Road.
The BJP continues to be favored by businessmen, with many citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for long-term national development. Sanchit Garg, an industrialist, emphasized Modi’s focus on infrastructure and future planning as key reasons for his support.
However, unemployment remains a significant concern among voters. At Sharma Tea Stall, Vipul Singh, a 26-year-old electrical engineer, expressed frustration over the lack of job opportunities, highlighting the disconnect between political rhetoric and real issues. “Political parties are talking of caste and religion instead of addressing unemployment and job security,” he said.
