Maneka Gandhi seeks second term from Sultanpur, keeps Ram Temple at bay | Lok Sabha polls

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Maneka Gandhi is seeking a second Lok Sabha term from Uttar Pradesh's Sultanpur in the ongoing general elections.

Even though top BJP leaders and star campaigners have been missing in the lead-up to the sixth phase of voting on May 25, the eight-time MP has been focusing on solo rallies. Her speeches are devoid of any mention of the Ram Temple, a stark contrast to other BJP candidates. Even references to Prime Minister Narendra Modi are minimal.

Ayodhya, a mere hour’s drive from Sultanpur, is historically significant for the BJP. Yet Gandhi has consciously avoided making it a focal point. Perhaps to seem inclusive to the approximately 17% of the voters, who are minorities.

“I have not made it (the Ram Temple) an issue here,” she acknowledges. Instead, the veteran parliamentarian emphasizes her track record and future promises. “At the end of the day, people just want their problems to be looked at and want a personal relationship with their representative,” she argues.

Gandhi's primary opponents include OBC candidates from two major fronts. The Congress-SP alliance has fielded Ram Bhual Nishad, a representative of the sizable Nishad community, with about 2.5 lakh members in the constituency. The BSP’s candidate, Uday Raj Verma, is a Kurmi.

The BJP leader scripted history in 2019, as she became the first woman to win from the Sultanpur constituency. She defeated the SP-BSP alliance candidate Chandrabhadra Singh Sonu by a margin of 14,526 votes.

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