The upcoming second phase of the Lok Sabha polls on April 26 has drawn significant attention, with key candidates from both the BJP and the Congress entering the fray. Among the notable contenders are Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Shashi Tharoor, as well as BJP's Hema Malini and Arun Govil.
Arun Govil, renowned for his portrayal of Lord Ram in the iconic TV show Ramayan, is making his electoral debut as the BJP's candidate for the Meerut seat. He replaces the incumbent MP Rajendra Agarwal, who held the seat for three terms.
Rahul Gandhi, re-contesting from the Wayanad seat in Kerala, faces competition from CPI's Annie Raja and BJP's K Surendran. Gandhi secured victory by a significant margin in the 2019 elections, despite losing the Amethi seat to BJP's Smriti Irani.
Shashi Tharoor aims to retain the Thiruvananthapuram seat for the fourth consecutive term, facing contenders from BJP and CPI.
Hema Malini, representing Mathura since 2014, is up against Congress' Mukesh Dhangar in the upcoming polls.
Other significant candidates include Congress general secretary KC Venugopal, contesting from Alappuzha in Kerala, and Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, seeking re-election from Jodhpur. BJP's Tejasvi Surya, Sukanta Majumdar, and former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel are also prominent figures in the fray.
The second phase of polling will cover constituencies across several states, including Kerala, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Manipur, Tripura, and Jammu and Kashmir. With key candidates vying for victory, this phase is expected to shape the political landscape significantly.
