Rae Bareli Lok Sabha Elections: Who is Dinesh Pratap Singh, BJP's contender against Rahul Gandhi?

Rae Bareli Lok Sabha Elections: In Uttar Pradesh's Rae Bareli constituency, all eyes are on the upcoming Lok Sabha elections as Congress nominates star campaigner Rahul Gandhi to contest against BJP's Dinesh Pratap Singh.

Initially associated with the Indian National Congress, Singh made a pivotal shift to the BJP in 2018. He has been serving as a member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council since 2010, winning elections under both party banners.

Singh's political journey reached a milestone when he contested in the 16th Lok Sabha Elections against Congress chief Sonia Gandhi from the Raebareli constituency.


Despite his defeat, Singh secured a significant 38 percent of the total votes, marking the highest tally received by any BJP candidate in the constituency's history.

Rae Bareli Lok Sabha Elections: 2019 Results

State	Constituency	Lead/Won	Party Vote%	Runner-up party	Runner-up party%	Margin	Margin%
Uttar Pradesh	Rae Bareli	INC	56.41	BJP	38.78	167178	17.63

With Sonia Gandhi opting out of the Lok Sabha polls and securing a Rajya Sabha seat from Rajasthan, Rahul Gandhi's nomination has added a new dimension to the electoral landscape.


The BJP is banking on Singh's strong grassroots connections, particularly at the village and block levels, to strengthen its campaign. Singh's contributions to BJP's success in District Panchayat elections and his three-time election as a member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council underscore his significance in the party.

Reports indicate Singh's active engagement with various segments of the electorate, garnering support from local BJP organisational units.

With Singh's nomination and that of Karan Bhushan Sharan Singh, BJP has finalised its candidates for all 75 seats it is contesting in Uttar Pradesh. However, its ally, Apna Dal (S), is yet to announce its candidate for Robertsganj, currently represented by its sitting MP Pakauri Lal Kol.

Bareilly is slated to go to polls on May 20, 2024, in the fifth phase of the seven-phase general elections. The filing of nominations ends on May 3.

Inputs from TOI