Lok Sabha polls 2024: Who is Congress Varanasi candidate Ajay Rai, contesting against PM Modi
Congress releases 4th list for Lok Sabha polls, fields Ajay Rai against PM Modi According to The Wire's old report, Rai is a graduate of the Kashi Vidyapeeth in Varanasi. As a student, he was a convenor of the BJP's student wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in 1991-92. Ajai Rai also actively participated in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, and went to jail under the preventive section of the law.
Rai in 1996 defeated nine-time sitting Communist Party of India (Marxist) MLA Udal from the Kolasla seat. His winning streak continued in 2002 as well. In the same year, Rai was rewarded with a ministerial berth as state minister for cooperatives in the Mayawati-led BSP-BJP alliance Uttar Pradesh government.
However, Rai quit the BJP in 2007 after feeling betrayed by the party as the BJP picked veteran leader Murli Manohar Joshi as its Lok Sabha candidate from Varanasi. He joined the Samajwadi Party and lost the election against Joshi. Rai's journey with Congress began in 2012 when he contested from Pindra (earlier known as Kolasla) and defeated a BJP candidate.
The party fielded him from Varanasi against the PM Narendra Modi. While Rai's nomination elevated, he finished at the third spot as the contest became two-sided (PM Modi vs AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal). Notably, Rai is a former five-time MLA from Varanasi.
PM Narendra Modi to contest Lok Sabha elections 2024 from Varanasi In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, Rai again secured the third position from the Varansai seat by bagging only 1.52 lakh votes. He got a vote share of 14.38% against PM Modi's vote share of 63.62%. The Varansai people will cast a vote on 1 June.
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