UP Election 2024: PM Modi wins Varanasi for third time by 1.5 lakh votes

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has triumphed in the Varanasi constituency for the third consecutive time, winning by a margin of 1,52,513 votes, as confirmed by the Election Commission on Tuesday. In the 2019 elections, Modi had won with a much larger margin of nearly 4.79 lakh votes.

Additionally, two other Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates have emerged victorious in their respective constituencies. Dr Bhola Singh claimed the Bulandshahr seat, while Karan Bhushan Singh secured a win in Kaiserganj. Karan Bhushan Singh is the youngest son of former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is currently facing several sexual harassment allegations.

In a notable upset, Lallu Singh, the incumbent BJP MP from Faizabad, conceded defeat to Samajwadi Party candidate Awadhesh Prasad. Reflecting on the loss, Singh stated, “Hum aapka samman nahi bacha paaye” (we could not save your respect). This result is particularly significant as the Faizabad constituency includes Ayodhya, where the Ram Temple has been a central issue for the BJP.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi won the Rae Bareli seat by a margin of 4 lakh votes, defeating BJP candidate and Uttar Pradesh minister Dinesh Singh. In another key race, Union Minister Ajay Mishra 'Teni' was defeated in the Kheri constituency by Samajwadi Party candidate Utkarsh Verma 'Madhur', losing by 25,494 votes.