Lok Sabha Results: 10 Lesser Discussed Seats Of Uttar Pradesh That Are Crucial

While a lot of discussion was done on high-profile seats of Amethi, Rae Bareli, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Kannauj and Mainpuri, these are 10 lesser discussed seats that are crucial for the mandate:

1. Moradabad: This is one of those seats that the Samajwadi Party (SP) won in 2019, but it became challenging for it to win this time due to the poor choice of candidate.

While the BJP repeated its candidate Kunawar Sarvesh Singh, despite the 2019 loss, the SP fielded Ruchi Veera, former Bijnor MLA and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader.

2. Rampur: The SP cadre could not be consolidated here after the by-election loss and the absence of veteran leader Azam Khan and the SP fielding an 'outsider' candidate.

The Rampur Lok Sabha seat was won by BJP's Ghanshyam Singh Lodhi in the by-polls after Azam Khan vacated the seat to become an MLA. BJP has fielded Lodhi again from here.

3. Ghaziabad: This is one of those seats where the anger of Rajputs against the BJP erupted due to the denial of a ticket to Rajpur MP General V K Singh and the fielding of a baniya, Atul Garg.

The seat also witnessed a rare joint address by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and SP national president Akhilesh Yadav in favour of Congress candidate Dolly Sharma.

4. Firozabad: Akhilesh Yadav's cousin Akshay Yadav is the SP candidate here, while the BJP fielded a Rajput candidate Vishwadeep Singh to calm down angry Rajputs.

6. Kaushambi: The BJP fielded its two-time MP and incumbent Vinod Kumar Sonkar, while the SP fielded its youngest candidate, 25-year-old Pushpendra Saroj from here.

7. Barabanki:  The BJP is looking to win this seat for the third consecutive time, while Congress is looking to regain it after 2009. Mayawati-led BSP is making this contest three-cornered.

8. Basti: The BJP candidate here is also a two-time MP and incumbent, Harish Dwivedi, while the SP fielded Ram Prasad Chaudhary, hailing from Other Backward Class (OBC).

9. Azamgarh: The seat was won by Akhilesh Yadav in 2019, but when he vacated this seat to become an MLA, BJP's Dinesh Lal Yadav 'Nirahua' won by-elections and he is the candidate now.

The SP candidate here is Akhilesh Yadav's cousin Dharmendra Yadav and the BSP is making the contest three-cornered here by fielding Masood Sabeeha Ansari.

10. Jaunpur: This is the only seat where the BSP has repeated its incumbent MP Shyam Singh Yadav, while the BJP has fielded former Maharashtra Congress leader Kripashankar Singh.

The SP has fielded Babu Singh Kushwaha, former UP Minister in the Mayawati cabinet. He is the president of the Jan Adhikar Party, which failed to secure even 1 per cent votes in the 2022 Assembly elections.