4 Candidates Who Switched Parties Ahead Of Polls

New Delhi: The 2024 Lok Sabha elections will be conducted in seven phases, with the first phase beginning today. This phase will witness voting in 21 states and Union Territories and 102 constituencies, with results set to be declared on June 4.

Political aspirations, factionalism within parties or simply calling out of favour, have led to many candidates switching parties in the build-up to the elections. Here’s a look at some big names who will contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections under new banners.

Jitin Prasada

Jitin Prasada is the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Uttar Pradesh’s Philibit which goes to polls tomorrow. Until 2021, Mr Prasada was in the Congress.

Pilibhit has long been synonymous with the Gandhi family, particularly Maneka Gandhi, the younger daughter-in-law of Indira Gandhi, and her son Varun Gandhi. Over the past 28 years, the Gandhis have solidified their grip on this seat, with Varun Gandhi the BJP MP.

Mr Prasada replaces Varun Gandhi as the BJP candidate in this year’s polls.

Jyoti Mirdha

Jyoti Mirdha, 51, is the BJP nominee for the Nagaur constituency in Rajasthan. A doctor, Ms Mirdha entered politics with the Congress. She won Lok Sabha polls on a Congress ticket both in the 2009 and 2014 elections.

In 2019, she lost to Hanuman Beniwal of the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party. In 2023 Ms Mirdha joined the BJP.

Rahul Kaswan

Churu MP Rahul Kaswan resigned from the BJP and joined the Congress this year. Mr Kaswan was denied a ticket by the BJP for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Churu, In Rajasthan, is a BJP stronghold and from where the party has not lost since 1999. Mr Kaswan, successfully contesting for the Lok Sabha elections from the eat in 2014 and 2019 will this time fight the seat on a Congress ticket.

Uday Shankar Hazarika

Uday Shankar Hazarika is the Congress candidate for the Lakhimpur Lok Sabha constituency in Assam. A BJP veteran, he had contested for the Lakhimpur Lok Sabha seat in multiple elections.

In 2023, he quit the BJP and joined the Congress.