Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Akhilesh Yadav likely to kick off INDIA bloc's poll campaign from Pilibhit on April 12

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief will kick off the Opposition INDIA bloc's joint campaign for upcoming Lok Sabha Elections from in Uttar Pradesh on April 12. 

The former UP Chief Minister will be accompanied by INDIA bloc leaders in the campaign, Pilibhit is going to polls in the first phase on April 19. 

The has never won the seat considered strong-hold of BJP leaders Maneka and . The BJP has, however, dropped Varun and, instead, fielded Jitin Prasada from the seat for the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections. 

The SP has fielded Bhagwat Saran Gangwar from the seat. 

Sources said that the INDIA bloc rally on April 12 may see Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi in attendance. The SP is contesting 63 seats, including Pilibhit, while the Congress will field candidates on 17 seats in Uttar Pradesh as part of the . 

Uttar Pradesh sends 80 members to Lok Sabha. The BJP had won 62 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha election from the state. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a mega election rally in Pilibhit on Wednesday. The PM launched an attack on the Congress party Modi for ‘insulting’ Lord Ram by rejecting the invitation for the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

"Congress tried its best to prevent the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya. And when the people of the country constructed such a grand temple by contributing money and when the people of the temple forgave all your sins and invited you for the , you (Congress) insulted Lord Ram by rejecting the invitation. You even expelled those leaders who attended the function," PM Modi said.

The seven-phase election will end on June 1. The will be declared on June 4.