Lok Sabha Election 2019, Uttar Pradesh profile: BJP dominates 27 out of 29 Purvanchal seats; Rahul's Amethi, Mulayam's Azamgarh exceptions

Lying on the fertile Indo-Gangetic plains, Purvanchal covers the eastern expanse of the state of Uttar Pradesh. It is also considered one of the most densely populated areas of India. However, Purvanchal, for long, just like its neighbour Bihar, has been facing economic stagnation. With places like Ayodhya, Varanasi and Gorakhpur coming under its belt, Purvanchal is not only spiritually but also politically significant – at least for the BJP. While Gorakhpur is the traditional bastion of Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, Varanasi is the home constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Meanwhile, Ayodhya is the epicentre of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, which catapulted BJP to the Centre in the 1990s. The region has 29 Lok Sabha seats with 27 being represented by BJP MPs and only two going to other parties. While Amethi was won by Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Azamgarh was won by Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav. The region is going to polls on 6, 12 and 19 May. While five constituencies will be voting on 6 May, 11 constituencies will be voting on 12 May. The remaining constituencies will go to the polls on the last phase of the election – 19 May. With 80 seats, the state has the single biggest chunk of Lok Sabha seats in its kitty. The sheer number of seats have determined the political destiny of India. Uttar Pradesh will go through long seven-phase polling starting from 11 April 2019. The voting will end on 19 May, which is the final date of polling. The counting of votes will take place on 23 May. While eight constituencies each go to polls on 11 and 18 April, 10 constituencies will be voting on 23 April. On 29 April, 13 constituencies will go to polls, while 14 constituencies each will be voting on 6 and 12 May. In the final phase, 13 constituencies will go to polls. Here are the brief profiles of all the constituencies in Purvanchal: 1. Amethi Lok Sabha Constituency  Constituency number: 37 Total electors: 16,69,843 (2014 estimates) Female electors: 7,79,248 Male electors: 8,90,595 Reserved: No Delimited: No Assembly Constituencies: Tiloi, Salon, Jagdishpur, Gauriganj and Amethi. Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: This is a Congress bastion, having elected members of the Nehru-Gandhi family since the 1980 elections. In the 1999 elections, Sonia Gandhi, former Congress chief, won the seat. Since 2004, Congress president Rahul Gandhi has held the seat. Demographics: Thakurs, who constitute nearly 15 percent of the population and Brahmins, who constitute 20 percent of the population are the most significant caste factors in the constituency. At least, 95 percent of the constituency lives in rural areas, according to the 2011 Census. 2. Ambedkar Nagar Lok Sabha Constituency  Constituency number: 55 Total electors:  17,18,774 (2014 estimates) Female electors: 7,95,221 Male electors: 9,23,553 Reserved: No Delimited: Yes. This constituency only came into being in 2008. Before the 2009 elections, this constituency was called Akbarpur, which is also the name of another constituency in Kanpur district. Assembly Constituencies: Goshainganj, Katehari, Tanda, Jalalpur, Akbarpur Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: In 2009 elections, Rakesh Pandey of the BSP won the seat while BJP candidate Hari Om Pandey registered a victory in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Notably, BSP supremo Mayawati won four times, when Akbarpur was a reserved constituency for Scheduled Castes. Demographics: A largely rural constituency, Ambedkar Nagar is at the centre of BSP’s politics, with reports of Mayawati contesting the upcoming elections from this seat doing the rounds since last year. The Scheduled Caste communities account for over 1/4th of the population in this constituency. According to reports, Muslims, Yadavs, Kurmis, Brahmins and Banias form significant blocks of voters in the constituency. OBC sub-communities like Rajbhar and Kewats can also play a decisive role in elections. 3. Faizabad Lok Sabha Constituency  Constituency number: 54 [caption id=“attachment_6281331” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] The temple town of Ayodhya falls in Faizabad Lok Sabha consituency. Image courtesy News18[/caption] Total electors: 17,38,701 (2014 estimates) Female electors: 8,02,665 Male electors: 9,36,036 Reserved: No Delimited: No Assembly Constituencies: Dariyabad, Rudauli, Milkipur, Bikapur, Ayodhya Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: In 1999, Vinay Katiyar of the BJP won the seat. But in the next election, he lost the seat to Mitrasen Yadav of the BSP. Congress party’s Nirmal Khatri won the seat in 2009 but lost to Lallu Singh of the BJP in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Demographics: The constituency mostly covers the eponymous district. Faizabad is significant in Indian political history for being the epicentre of the Ayodhya movement. Brahmins, Yadavs, Thakurs and Kurmis are the dominant castes in the area. The 2011 Census states that at least 15 percent of the population in the district is Muslim. 4. Azamgarh Lok Sabha Constituency  Constituency number: 69 Total electors: 17,03,222 Female electors: 7,61,674 Male electors: 9,41,548 Reserved: No Delimited: No Assembly Constituencies: Gopalpur, Sagri, Mubarakpur, Azamgarh and Mehnagar Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: The Azamgarh seat is currently held by Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav. Ramakant Yadav has won the seat thrice, first as a Samajwadi Party candidate, then as a BSP candidate and finally in 2009 as a BJP candidate.  In 2008 by-poll, Akbar Ahmad of the BSP won the seat. Demographics: Yadavs, Muslims and Dalit –  Chamar, Dhusia, Jhusia, Jatav  – voters form the bulk of the electorate in Azamgarh. Notably, Yadav candidates have traditionally been winning the seat since 1952. Part of the industrially backward Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Azamgarh is also largely a rural constituency. 5. Ballia Lok Sabha Constituency  Constituency number: 72 Total electors: 17,68,271 (2014 estimates) Female electors: 7,94,887 Male electors: 9,73,384 Reserved: No Delimited: No Assembly Constituencies: Phephana, Ballia Nagar, Bairia, Zahoorabad and Mohammadabad Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: The traditional stronghold of former prime minister Chandra Shekhar, Ballia elected him between 1999 and 2007, when he died at the age of 80. Between 2007 and 2014, his son Neeraj Shekhar held the seat as a Samajwadi Party candidate. BJP candidate Bharat Singh won the election in 2014, defeating Shekhar by over 1,30,000 votes. Demographics: The Kshatriya community wields considerable influence in the constituency. Rajbhar, a community considered Extremely Backward Caste, is also found in sizeable numbers in the constituency. 6. Shrawasti Lok Sabha Constituency Constituency number: 58  Total electors: 17,88,080 Female electors: 8,11,665 Male electors: 9,76,415 Reserved: No Delimited: Yes. This constituency came into existence in 2008. Prior to that, this constituency was called Balrampur. Assembly Constituencies: Bhinga, Shrawasti, Tulsipur, Gainsari, Balrampur Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: Vinay Kumar Pandey of the Congress won the seat in the 2009 elections while Daddan Mishra of the BJP defeated Samajwadi Party’s Atiq Ahmed to win the seat. Demographics: Shravasti is one of the comparatively smaller districts in the state. It has an overwhelming Muslim minority with its district headquarter Bhinga having a Muslim majority.  Sahu community , a sub-community within OBCs are influential in the Shrawasti Lok Sabha constituency. Dalits constitute around 18 percent of the population. 7. Kaiserganj Lok Sabha Constituency  Constituency number: 57 Total electors: 17,11,967 (2014 estimates) Female electors:  7,83,698 Male electors: 9,28,269 Reserved: No Delimited: No Assembly Constituencies: Payagpur, Kaiserganj, Katra Bazar, Colonelganj, Tarabganj Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: Beni Prasad Verma, the former Union minister, was elected from the constituency as a Samajwadi Party candidate in 1999 and 2004 elections. In 2009 and 2014 elections, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh won, first as a Samajwadi Party candidate and then as a BJP candidate. Demographics: Kurmis and Lodhs, two of the powerful non-Yadav OBC communities, are the dominant castes in the constituency. Moreover, Muslims constitute over 20 percent of the population in the constituency. 8. Bahraich Lok Sabha Constituency  Constituency number: 56 Total electors: 16,38,645 (2014 estimates) Female electors: 7,55,869 Male electors: 8,82,776 Reserved: Yes. For Scheduled Castes Delimited: Yes. Balha, Matera, Mahasi became the new Assembly constituencies within the Lok Sabha constituencies. Assembly Constituencies: Balha, Nanpara, Matera, Mahasi and Bahraich Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: Padamsen Chaudhary of the BJP won the seat in the 1999 elections. Rubab Sayda of the Samajwadi Party won the seat in 2004. After the delimitation process, Kamal Kishore of the Congress won the seat. He lost to Savitri Bai Phule of the BJP (now Congress) in the 2014 elections. Demographics: Dalits and Muslims are the key components of the electorate in this constituency. A Muslim-Dalit combination can make or break candidatures in this constituency.  In fact , the Bahraich Vidhan Sabha constituency, which comes under this constituency, is dominated by Muslims (40 percent of the population). 9. Basti Lok Sabha Constituency  Constituency number: 61 Total electors: 18,47,613 (2014 estimates) Female electors:  8,25,105 Male electors:  10,22,508 Reserved: No Delimited: Yes. Basti constituency made open to general category Assembly Constituencies: Harraiya, Kaptanganj, Rudhauli, Basti Sadar, Mahadewa Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: In the 1999 elections, Sreeram Chauhan of the BJP won the seat. BSP won the seat in the next two elections with Lal Mani Prasad being elected in 2004 and Arvind Kumar Choudhary being elected in 2009. In 2014 elections, Harish Chandra Dwivedi of the BJP won the seat. Demographics: Basti is dominated by the Kurmi community as well as Dalit communities. In fact, there were reports during the 1999 elections that Mayawati  would fight election  from here due to the presence of a significant Dalit vote bank. 10. Bhadohi Lok Sabha Constituency Constituency number: 78 Total electors: 18,34,598 (2014 estimates) Female electors: 8,18,598 Male electors: 10,16,000 Reserved: No Delimited: Yes. The constituency came into existence in 2008 Assembly Constituencies: Pratappur, Handia, Bhadohi, Gyanpur, Aurai Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: In 2009 elections, Gorakhnath Pandey registered a victory on this seat. In 2014 elections, Virendra Singh of the BJP won the seat. Demographics: Dalits, followed by Brahmins and Muslims are the most dominant groups in the  electoral landscape  of Bhadohi, which is situated in Eastern Uttar Pradesh. 11. Chandauli Lok Sabha Constituency  Constituency number: 76 [caption id=“attachment_6281381” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] Brahmins and Kshatiyas, who have an influence in Eastern Uttar Pradesh, are followed by non-Yadav OBC communities like Lodh, Maurya and the Rajbhar in Chandauli Lok Sabha constituency. Image courtesy Government of Uttar Pradesh[/caption] Total electors: 1,669,140 (2014 estimates) Female electors: 7,41,511 Male electors: 9,27,629 Reserved: No Delimited: Yes. Sakaldiha constituency created after 2008 delimitation. Assembly Constituencies: Mughalsarai, Sakaldiha, Saiyadraja, Ajagara, Shivpur Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: In 1999 elections, Jawaharlal Jaiswal won the seat fighting as Samajwadi Party candidate. In 2004 elections, Kailash Nath Singh Yadav of the BSP won the seat, before the Samajwadi Party won it back in the 2009 polls. In the 2014 elections, current Uttar Pradesh BJP chief Mahendra Nath Pandey won the seat by defeating Anil Maurya of the BSP. Demographics: A number of communities have a prominent presence in the constituency. Brahmins and Kshatiyas, who have an influence in Eastern Uttar Pradesh, are followed by non-Yadav OBC communities like Lodh, Maurya and the Rajbhar. 12. Deoria Lok Sabha Constituency Constituency number: 66 Total electors: 18,06,926 (2014 estimate) Female electors: 8,09,612 Male electors: 9,97,314 Reserved: No Delimited: No Assembly Constituencies: Deoria, Tamkuhi Raj, Fazilnagar, Pathardeva, Rampur Karkhana Results in last four elections: In 1999 elections, Prakash Mani Tripathi of the BJP won the seat. But he lost his seat to Mohan Singh of the Samajwadi Party in the 2004 elections. Both lost to Gorakh Prasad Jaiswal of the BSP in the 2009 elections. In 2014, Kalraj Mishra, former Union minister, defeated his nearest BSP rival by over 2.6 lakh votes. Demographics: Upper castes, especially Brahmins and Kshatriyas, have a strong presence in the constituency. According to Census 2011, about 15 percent of the  populatio n belong to the Scheduled Castes. A largely rural constituency, Deoria is significant for the BJP since it neighbours Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s Gorakhpur constituency. 13. Salempur Lok Sabha Constituency  Constituency number: 71 Total electors: 16,61,737 Female electors: 7,57,105 Male electors: 9,04,632 Reserved: No Delimited: No Assembly Constituencies: Bhatpar Rani, Salempur, Belthara Road, Sikanderpur, Bansdih Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: In 1999 elections, Babban Rajbhar of the BSP won the seat. In 2004, Hari Kewal Prasad of the Samajwadi Party won the seat. In 2009, the BSP again won the seat before losing it to Ravindra Kushwaha of the BJP in 2014 elections. Demographics: The Mauryas and the Kushwahas are influential in this constituency. Rajbhar community, an Extremely Backward Caste, also have  sizeable presence  in the constituency. 14. Bansgaon Lok Sabha Constituency  Constituency number: 67 Total electors: 17,60,110 Female electors:  7,80,466 Male electors: 9,79,644 Reserved: Yes. For Scheduled Castes Delimited: Yes. New constituency of Chauri Chaura created. Assembly Constituencies: Chauri-Chaura, Bansgaon, Chillupar, Rudrapur and Barhaj Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: Raj Narain Passi won the seat in the 1999 elections before Mahabir Prasad of the Congress wretched it from him. In 2009 and 2014 elections, Kamlesh Paswan of the BJP won the seat. Demographics: Part of the high-profile Gorakhpur district, Bansgaon is largely a rural constituency, with significant Dalit, Passi, Nishad, Muslim and Yadav vote bank. 15. Ghazipur Lok Sabha Constituency  Constituency number: 75 Total electors: 18,01,519 (2014 estimates) Female electors: 8,18,167 Male electors: 9,83,352 Reserved: No Delimited: No Assembly Constituencies: Jakhanian, Saidpur, Ghazipur Sadar, Jangipur, Zamania Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: Union Minister Manoj Sinha is the incumbent MP from Ghazipur. He was also elected from the same constituency in 1999 elections. Afzal Ansari and Radhe Mohan Singh, both from the Samajwadi Party, won the 2004 and 2009 elections respectively. Demographics: Ghazipur, situated in East Uttar Pradesh, has a  sizable population  of Bhumihar, Kayastha, Brahmins and Thakurs – all of them coming under the umbrella of Upper Castes. Moreover, Yadavs, Muslims and Khushwahas are also found in such numbers that can swing the election in anyone’s favour. 16. Gorakhpur Lok Sabha Constituency  Constituency number: 64 [caption id=“attachment_6281421” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] Gorakhpur is a Hindutva bastion, having elected firebrand BJP leader and now Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath between 1998 and 2014. Image courtesy News18[/caption] Total electors: 19,04,498 (2014 estimates) Female electors: 8,49,022 Male electors: 10,55,476 Reserved: No Delimited: No Assembly Constituencies: Caimpiyarganj, Pipraich, Gorakhpur Urban, Gorakhpur Rural, Sahajanwa Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: This is a Hindutva bastion, having elected firebrand BJP leader and now Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath between 1998 and 2014. Adityanath remained the MP from Gorakhpur till he became the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh in March 2017. However, in an electoral upset, Praveen Kumar Nishad of the Samajwadi Party wrested the seat from the BJP in the 2018 bypolls. Demographics:  Out of nearly 19  lakh voters in Gorakhpur, Nishads and Mallahs, constitute nearly 23 percent of the voters. The next biggest chunk of voters are 3.5 lakh Muslims that make for nearly 18 percent voters. Dalits together make up the third biggest chunk. This demographic reality has however been overpowered by the influence of the Gorakh Mutt, which cuts across caste lines in Gorakhpur. 17. Gonda Lok Sabha Constituency  Constituency number: 59 Total electors: 17,10,827 (2014 estimates) Female electors: 7,75,659 Male electors: 9,35,168 Reserved: No Delimited: No Assembly Constituencies: Utraula, Gaura, Gonda, Mankapur, Mehnaun Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: In 1999, BJP candidate Brij Bhishan Sharan Singh won the seat. Kirti Vardhan Singh, who won the 2004 election, later joined the BJP and is currently representing the seat. In 2009, then Congress leader Beni Prasad Verma won the seat. Demographics: According  to a report,  Gonda, a rural constituency, is dominated by Muslims, Brahmins and Kurmis, who constitute 22, 20 and 15 percent of the electorate respectively. In addition, Dalits constitute 13 percent while Kshatriya and Yadavs are eight percent of the electorate. At least 14 percent of the electorate are of other castes. 18. Jaunpur Lok Sabha Constituency Constituency number: 73 Total electors: 18,48,842 (2014 estimates) Female electors: 8,45,904 Male electors:  10,02,938 Reserved: No Delimited: Yes. Badlapur, Malhani, Mungra Badshahpur were the new Assembly constituencies after 2008. Assembly Constituencies: Badlapur, Shahganj, Jaunpur, Malhani, Mungra Badshahpur Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: Swami Chinmayanand, who later became a minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee cabinet, was elected from Jaunpur in 1999 elections. Parasnath Yadav of the Samajwadi Party was elected in the 2004 elections. Dhananjay Singh of the BSP won in the 2009 polls. In the last elections, BJP’s Krishna Pratap defeated Samajwadi Party candidate Parasnath Yadav to regain the seat after 10 years. Demographics: Jaunpur in Eastern Uttar Pradesh has a  sizeable number  of Thakurs, Dalits, Brahmins, Yadavs and Muslims voters  who can  determine the fate of the candidates. 19. Kushinagar Lok Sabha Constituency  Constituency number: 65 Total electors: 16,80,992 Female electors: 7,50,355 Male electors: 9,30,637 Reserved: No Delimited: Yes. The seat came into existence only after 2008 delimitation. Parts of the seat were formerly with Padrauna Lok Sabha constituency, which no longer exists. Assembly Constituencies:  Khadda, Padrauna, Kushinagar, Hata, Ramkola Results in last four elections: While the Congress registered a victory in the 2009 elections, BJP’s Rajesh Pandey won the seat in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Demographics: Despite being a centre for religious tourism, on account of being the place where Lord Buddha attained parinirvan, the area is economically backward. The constituency has a significant presence of Brahmin voters. Muslims constitute 27 percent of the  electorate  in the area, while Scheduled Caste voters can also influence the elections. 20. Maharajganj Lok Sabha Constituency  Constituency number: 63 Total electors: 17,43,131 Female electors: 7,96,897 Male electors:  9,46,234 Reserved: No Delimited: No Assembly Constituencies: Pharenda, Nautanwa, Siswa, Maharajganj, Paniyara Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: While Akhilesh Singh won during the 1999 elections, Harsh Vardhan of the Congress won the seat in 2009. In 2004 and 2014, Pankaj Choudhary of the BJP won the seat. Demographics: The constituency comes under Maharajganj district which lies on the foothills of Himalayas. The district is also one of the 250 economically backward districts of India, as per the Central government. Kurmis, an OBC community, are  most dominant  in the constituency, with approximately three lakh voters. Upper caste, as well as Banias, add up to seven lakh voters in the constituency. 21. Ghosi Lok Sabha Constituency  Constituency number: 70 Total electors:  18,91,113 (2014 estimates) Female electors: 8,51,079 Male electors: 10,40,034 Reserved: No Delimited: No Assembly Constituencies: Madhuban, Ghosi, Muhammadabad-Gohna, Mau, Rasara Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: Bal Krishna Chauhan of the BSP won the seat in the 1999 Lok Sabha elections. Chandradeo Prasad Rajbhar of the Samajwadi Party won the seat in the 2004 elections. In the 2009 elections, Dara Singh Chauhan of the BSP won the seat. However, he lost the seat to Harinaryan Rajbhar of the BJP in the 2014 elections. Demographics: Ghosi Lok Sabha constituency covers the whole of Mau district, which is known for its skilled weavers. The Ghosi constituency has significant Muslim, OBC and Dalit voters along with upper caste Brahmin and Thakur votes. 22. Mirzapur Lok Sabha Constituency  Constituency number: 79 Total electors: 1,720,661 (2014 estimates) Female electors: 7,82,157 Male electors: 9,38,504 Reserved: No Delimited: No Assembly Constituencies: Chhanbey(SC), Mirzapur, Majhawan, Chunar, Marihan Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: The constituency is known for having elected former bandit and Samajwadi Party leader Phoolan Devi in 1999. In the 2001 bypoll, Ramrati Bind won the seat on a Samajwadi Party ticket. In 2009, Bal Kumar Patel from the Samajwadi Party won the seat. Former MoS Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel of Apna Dal won the seat in alliance with the BJP in the last election. Demographics: The Kurmis are dominant  among the electorate in the constituency with over 2.5 lakh voters. Nishad, a Scheduled Caste community, is also a sizeable part of the electorate. With 1.5 lakh voters, Bind community is also influential in the constituency. There are estimated 80,000 Yadav voters in the constituency too. 23. Sant Kabir Nagar Lok Sabha Constituency  Constituency number: 62 Total electors: 19,04,327 [caption id=“attachment_6281471” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] The Sant Kabir Nagar Lok Sabha constituency came into being in 2008. Image courtesy News18[/caption] Female electors: 8,58,897 Male electors: 10,45,430 Reserved: No Delimited: Yes. This constituency came into existence in 2008. Assembly Constituencies: Alapur, Menhdawal, Khalilabad, Dhanghata, Khajani Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: In 2009, Bhima Shankar, a BSP candidate, won the seat while Sharad Tripathi of the BJP won the seat in 2014 elections. Demographics: Brahmins and Rajputs have a considerable presence in this constituency. Kurmis  also form  a sizeable electorate in this constituency, according to some reports. Recently, the constituency’s representative Sharad Tripathi was in the news for hitting another MLA belonging to the Rajput community. This, many analysts, believe expose the caste faultline in the constituency. 24. Domariyaganj Lok Sabha Constituency  Constituency number: 60 Total electors: 17,61,415 (2014 estimates) Female electors: 7,99,458 Male electors: 9,61,957 Reserved: No Delimited: No Assembly Constituencies: Domariyaganj, Shohratgarh, Kapilvastu, Bansi, Itwa Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: In 1999, Rampal Singh of the BJP won the seat. In 2004, Muhammed Muqueem of the BSP won the seat. Veteran leader Jagdambika Pal won the seat in the 2009 and 2014 Lok Sabha elections, first as a Congress candidate and then on a BJP ticket. Demographics: Part of Eastern Uttar Pradesh,  Doomariyaganj  has 2.50 lakh Brahmin, two lakh Dalits and three lakh backward caste voters. There are over three lakh Muslim voters too, according to one report. 25. Sultanpur Lok Sabha Constituency Constituency number: 38  Total electors: 17,03,698 Female electors: 7,93,349 Male electors: 9,10,349 Reserved: No Delimited: Yes. Sultanpur Sadar was Jaisinghpur until 2008 delimitation. Assembly Constituencies:  Isauli, Sultanpur, Sultanpur Sadar, Lambhu, Kadipur (SC) Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: The Bahujan Samaj Party won the seat in 1999 and 2004 elections. In 1999, Jai Bhadra Singh was declared the winner while in 2004 elections, Mohammad Tahir Khan became the MP. In 2009, however, Khan lost to Sanjay Singh of the Congress. In 2014, Varun Gandhi of the BJP defeated Singh’s wife Ameeta to clinch the seat. Demographics: Dalits are a sizeable section of the population in  Sultanpur  while Thakurs are said to be 15 percent of the electorate in the Lok Sabha constituency. Brahmins, who are 8-9 percent of the population in the state, are also a sizeable section of the electorate. Muslims, on the other hand, constitute 17 percent of the population. 26. Varanasi Lok Sabha Constituency  [caption id=“attachment_6281601” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] World-renowned as a spiritual centre, Varanasi consists of two of the Assembly segments are rural while three are urban. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is its incumbent MP. Image courtesy News18[/caption] Constituency number: 77 Total electors: 17,67,486 Female electors: 7,81,262 Male electors: 9,86,224 Reserved: No Delimited: No Assembly Constituencies: Rohaniya, Varanasi North, Varanasi South, Varanasi Cantt., Sevapuri Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the incumbent MP from Varanasi constituency. In 2009, former Union Minister Murli Manohar Joshi won the seat, narrowly defeating notorious gangster Mukhtar Ansari. In 2004 elections, Rajesh Kumar Mishra won the seat, while he lost to Shankar Prasad Jaiswal of BJP in the 1999 elections. Demographics: World-renowned as a spiritual centre, Varanasi consists of two of the Assembly segments are rural while three are urban. Muslims form the largest block of voters with around 3 lakh voters, while Brahmins account for 2.5 lakh voters. Kurmis, an OBC community account for 1.5 lakh voters. Yadavs, Kayasthas, Vaish, Chaurasias, Bhumihars and Dalits are also significant voters in this constituency. 27. Robertsganj Lok Sabha Constituency Constituency number: 80  Total electors: 16,39,561 (2014 estimates) Female electors: 7,38,398 Male electors: 9,01,163 Reserved: Yes. For Scheduled Castes Delimited: New Assembly constituency  Obra was created  after delimitation in 2008. Assembly Constituencies: Chakia, Ghorawal, Robertsganj, Obra, Duddhi Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: Ram Shakal of the BJP won the seat in the 1999 elections. In 2004, the seat went to Lal Chandra Kol of BSP while in 2009 elections, the Samajwadi Party registered a win here. In 2014, Chhotelal of the BJP won the seat. Demographics: Part of Sonebhadra district, Robertsganj is largely a rural constituency. Notably, Obra and Duddhi are the only two constituencies in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly to be reserved for the Scheduled Tribes. While these two constituencies are tribal-dominated, Brahmins and OBCs are  key component  of the electorate in constituencies like Robertsganj and Ghorawal. 28. Lalganj Lok Sabha Constituency  Total electors:  16,61,483 Female electors:  7,54,732 Male electors: 9,06,751 Reserved: Yes. For Scheduled Castes Delimited: Yes. A new Assembly seat – Didarganj – was created within the Lok Sabha constituency. Assembly Constituencies: Atrauliya, Nizamabad, Phoolpur Pawai, Didarganj, Lalganj Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: While Bali Ram of the BSP has won the seat twice: 1999 and 2009 Lok Sabha elections, Daroga Prasad Saroj won the seat on a Samajwadi Party ticket in 2004 elections. In 2014, Neelam Sonkar of the BJP won the seat. Demographics: Part of Azamgarh district, which is considered a bastion of the Samajwadi Party, Lalganj’s electorate is dominated by Muslims and Dalits. 29. Macchlishahr Lok Sabha Constituency  Constituency number: 74 Total electors: 18,91,969 Female electors: 8,65,180 Male electors: 10,26,789 Reserved: Yes. For Scheduled Castes Delimited: Yes. Pindra Assembly constituency came into existence after the 2008 delimitation. Assembly Constituencies: Machhlishahr, Mariyahu, Zafrabad, Kerakat, Pindra Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: In 1999 elections, Chandra Nath Singh of the Samajwadi Party won the seat. In 2004 elections, Umakant Yadav of the BSP won the seat. In 2009 elections, Tufani Saroj of the Samajwadi Party won the seat. In the Modi wave of 2014, Ram Charitra Nishad of the BJP won the election by a margin of over 1,70,000 votes. Demographics: Over 20 percent of the population in this Lok Sabha seat is Dalit. Nishad, a community of fishermen considered to be Scheduled Castes, are also found in large numbers in this constituency. Kurmis and Yadavs are also found in significant numbers in this constituency.