Lok Sabha polls: BJP's journo pick Vs Congress' educationist in Kanpur

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Kanpur between the BJP, the incumbent party for two terms, and the Congress, which has fortified itself by joining forces with the Samajwadi Party.

Kanpur, one of the oldest major industrial and commercial centres of Uttar Pradesh which has in the past sent heavyweights such as Murli Manohar Joshi and former Union minister Shriprakash Jaiswal to Parliament, is currently held by the BJP's Satyadev Pachauri, 76, who is not contesting this time.

Both the main parties have fielded lesser-known faces. The BJP's candidate is journalist Ramesh Awasthi, a non-political, non-local figure who is banking largely on the Modi factor. The Congress has fielded educationist Alok Mishra, who has unsuccessfully contested assembly elections in the past.

Kanpur is largely an urban seat, with Brahmins and Muslims being its two most dominant voting groups. Consequently, the seat has traditionally alternated between BJP and Congress, with the SP's presence limited to assembly seats. Jaiswal held the seat between 1999 and 2014. With Congress and SP contesting together, the alliance is seeking to ensure the Muslim vote does not split. Besides, Mishra's Brahmin credentials may appeal to a section of the community and the fact that he is a local will hold the candidate in good stead, according to Congress supporters.

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