Rahul Gandhi is leading by 87,026 votes in Rae Bareli, against Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Dinesh Singh.
As the results of the 18th Lok Sabha elections are set to be declared today, all eyes will be on Uttar Pradesh and how major political parties perform there.
The state sends the maximum number of representatives to the Lok Sabha — 80 — and is seen as one of the most decisive factors in determining which party or alliance will form the government at the Centre.
In the 2019 elections, the NDA won 62 seats in the state, paving the way for its second term at the Centre.
The Congress, on the other hand, has been seeing a steady decline in its fortunes in the Hindi heartland. In the last election, it managed to win only one seat: Rae Bareli, a Nehru-Gandhi stronghold which was retained by former party president Sonia Gandhi.
Among the major upsets were the loss of another Congress bastion, Amethi, which Union Minister Smriti Irani won after defeating Rahul Gandhi.
This time, Rahul is contesting from Rae Bareli (Sonia became a Rajya Sabha MP earlier this year) and Gandhi family aide Kishori Lal Sharma has been fielded from Amethi.
