Rajnath Singh win margin largest in seat since Independence

LUCKNOW: Union home minister Rajnath Singh who polled 6.33 lakh votes to retain Lucknow scripted history in the process because his victory margin of 3.47 lakh votes is the largest in this constituency since Independence.


Rajnath bagged the maximum votes (1.60 lakh) in Lucknow East assembly segment and minimum (98,055) in Lucknow Central. None of his rivals managed such high numbers in any of the five assembly segments.

Alliance candidate Poonam Sinha polled a total of 2.85 lakh votes to rank second while Congress nominee Acharya Pramod Krishnam came third with 1.80 lakh votes.

Lucknow has been a BJP bastion since 1991. In 2014, contesting from the seat for the first time, Rajnath had bagged 5.61lakh votes to defeat Rita Bahuguna Joshi, then fighting on a Congress ticket, by 2.72 lakh votes. That margin was the second largest.

Former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee had, in 2004, defeated Madhu Gupta of Samajwadi Party by the third largest margin of 2.18 lakh votes.

Of the 17

Lok Sabha

elections held so far in this constituency, BJP won it eight times and Congress six. Janata Dal, Janata Party and an independent won the seat once each.

RK Chaudhary loses deposit

Veteran Dalit leader RK Chaudhary, who had a strong base in Pasi and along with Kanshiram was a founding member of BSP, fought on a Congress ticket from Mohanlalganj this year and forfeited his deposit.

Chaudhary polled only 60, 000 votes, which was 4.7% of the total votes polled. Under the Representation of the People Act, a candidate must get at least one-sixth of the total votes polled or forfeit deposit.