UP Lok Sabha Elections: After poll grind, temple visits, some biryani & vote of thanks

After wrapping up weeks of campaigning, the candidates in fray for Lucknow, Mohanlalganj Lok Sabha seats, and Lucknow East Assembly seat, had a bit relaxed Sunday ahead of polling on Monday. While some candidates sought solace in God by praying, others preferred to spend time with family, amid fine-tuning of booth level preparations. Here’s who did what ahead of polling day.
For Rajnath Singh, BJP candidate for Lucknow, it was another action-packed day as he had to address three election rallies in Sambalpur, Keonjhar, and Bhubaneswar in Odisha.
Before departing, Singh met workers and representatives from various social, religious, and business organizations at his residence. He also met with delegations, including ex-servicemen, members of the Muslim Sunni community, and the professor and vice chancellor of Sanskriti University. The defence minister urged everyone to participate actively in the fifth phase of voting.
For Sarwar Malik, the BSP candidate from Lucknow, it was a relaxed day, which began with offering of prayers in the mosque and reciting verses from the Quran. After he took breakfast, workers and well-wishers started gathering at his residence to discuss strategies for booth management. In the afternoon, he spent quality time with his family, inviting relatives over for a feast. Ex pressing his satisfaction, Malik, who has a fondness for mutton biryani, remarked, “During the election campaign, the days were so hectic that I couldn’t indulge in my favourite dish. Today, I had my quota of biryani and now I am feeling relaxed.”
After a long and hectic campaign lasting more than 20 days, Samajwadi Party candidate Ravidas Mehrotra started his day with puja.
In the afternoon, he went to his official residence in Hazratganj and held a meeting with party officials, instructing them to ensure every eligible voter casts their vote on Monday.
Another busy day unfolded for Mohanlalganj MP Kaushal Kishore who started his day meetings with residents from his constituency. He also participated in online sessions.
RK Chaudhary, the candidate representing the INDIA bloc in Mohanlalganj, had a meeting with party workers to express his gratitude for their unwavering support.
LUCKNOW EAST BY POLL
MUKESH CHAUHAN: After a fortnightlong hectic campaign, Mukesh Singh Chauhan, the Congress Party’s nominee for the eastern constituency of the Lucknow Assembly, began his day with his usual morning walk. Back home, he had visitors and wellwishers with whom he had a quality time. Following this, he visited local temples before returning to his election office, where India Block workers had gathered. He appealed to be vigilant at the booth level and discussed how to maximize voter turnout at the polling stations.
OP SRIVASTAVA: After offering prayers at the temple in the morning, OP Srivastava discussed election management preparations with his team. Following this, he held a core team meeting at the election office. In the afternoon, he had several meetings with booth and polling agents.
LUCKNOW LOK SABHA
RAJNATH SINGH | BJP
Rajnath, 72, is a BJP stalwart, who is eyeing a third consecutive term as an MP from Lucknow. Having started his career as an RSS volunteer, Rajnath rose to become the BJP president twice (2005-2009; 2013-2014). He also served as UP CM from 2000 to 2002. In the Vajpayee govt, he was cabinet minister. Currently, he is the defence minister
RAVIDAS MEHROTRA | SP
Ravidas, 69, is the current Samajwadi Party MLA from Lucknow Central, who has made a name for his resilience and activism. He started his career as vice-president of the students’ union of Shri Jai Narain Misra Postgraduate College. He was part of the JP movement during the Emergency and went to jail for 20 months. In fact, Mehrotra has been to jail for over 251 times
SARWAR MALIK | BSP
Sarwar, 49, who is representing BSP, holds the distinction of being the richest candidate in fray from Lucknow. In 2014, Malik had unsuccessfully contested from Lucknow as All India Trinamool Congress candidate. In the 2022 assembly elections, he ran for Lucknow’s North seat on a BSP ticket but did not win
MOHANLALGANJ LOK SABHA
KAUSHAL KISHORE | BJP
Kaushal Kishore, 64, is the union minister of state for housing and urban affairs, and has served as Mohanlalganj MP twice Kishore’s political career spans several decades, including his tenure as a member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly from 2002 to 2007 and his position as UP minister of state from 2003 to 2004
RK CHAUDHARY | SP
Chaudhary, 65, is a seasoned politician who has served as a two-time leader of the House in the Legislative Council and has been elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) four times. Additionally, he has held the position of cabinet minister on four occasions. His assets are Rs 2.77 crore, including movable assets worth Rs 34.3 lakh
RAJESH KUMAR | BSP
The 37-year-old farmer-turned-politician has a decade-long association with BSP. Unlike his rivals, Kumar has a deep-rooted connection with agriculture. Rajesh Kumar, who had contested Jila Panchayat elections, had been vocal on Dalit issues. His total assets amount to Rs 1.1 crore, with Rs 67 lakh in movable assets
LUCKNOW EAST ASSEMBLY
OP SRIVASTAVA | BJP
Srivastava, 67, is BJP state working committee member and holds the position of state convener of the Lifelong Support Fund Department. His previous role as treasurer in the regional Awadh region underscores his adeptness in handling financial matters within the party. With a clean legal record and holding a Bachelor of Arts degree, Srivastava’s professional endeavours extend beyond politics. He is actively engaged in the construction business
MUKESH SINGH CHAUHAN | CONGRESS (INDIA BLOC)
Chauhan, 45, is currently an elected member of Lucknow Municipal Corporation, He began his political journey in 1995 when he assumed the role of general secretary of National Student Union of India, eventually climbing the ranks to become general secretary in the UP Congress Committee. However, Chauhan’s political career is not without controversy, as he faces one criminal case related to intentional insult and voluntarily causing hurt