The BJP declared Dinesh Singh as its candidate from Raibareli on Thursday. Singh contested for the BJP from the same constituency in 2019 but lost to Sonia Gandhi. This time, the contest gains more importance as the Congress has not announced any candidate yet.
#LokSabhaElections2024 | BJP nominates Dinesh Pratap Singh from Rae Bareli seat and Karan Bhushan Singh from Kaiserganj in Uttar Pradesh pic.twitter.com/xseZHPGPDq
— ANI (@ANI) May 2, 2024
Dinesh Pratap Singh, who joined the Yogi Adityanath cabinet as a Minister of State (Independent Charge), had been a Congress member. He was elected to the Vidhan Parishad for the first time in 2010 and then re-elected in 2016. In 2018, he left the Congress and joined the BJP.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP fielded him against Sonia Gandhi from Raebareli. Dinesh campaigned vigorously and his candidacy significantly impacted Sonia Gandhi’s vote share.
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In 2022, he secured a third consecutive term as an MLA on a BJP ticket with a record margin. Hailing from the obscure village of Gunawar Kamangalpur, his family resides in Panchvati in Raebareli. For nearly a decade, this family has been at the center of Raebareli’s politics. Apart from Dinesh, his brothers and other family members have held positions such as MLA, block chief, and district panchayat president.
So far, the Congress has not announced its candidate for the Raebareli Lok Sabha seat. While traditionally, Sonia Gandhi contested from Raebareli, this time she had indicated her decision not to contest the Lok Sabha elections due to health reasons. Subsequently, she entered the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan. Following this, Sonia Gandhi wrote an emotional letter to the people of Raebareli.
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