10 key leaders on the frontline for 2024 Lok Sabha elections

PM Modi likely to build his narrative around ‘Modi Assurance’ (File)

Some of them are powerful orators who command attention with their words, others are behind-the-scenes strategists plotting victory for their parties, all of whom have stories to tell as the country heads towards general elections starting on April 19. key promoter. From Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Asaduddin Owaisi, here are ten key political figures who will shape the electoral discourse in ways big and small:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking a third consecutive term, is hoping not only to gain an electoral advantage in India but also to equal the record of India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, with another winning streak.

Prime Minister Modi is likely to build his narrative around the “Modi Assurance” and the move towards “Viksit Bharat”. He enters the election confident of returning to public office for a third term and has already begun drawing up a blueprint for his next term.

Amit Shah: The undisclosed “No. 2” in the cabinet, often called “Chanakya” as the electoral juggernaut of the BJP, will be the brains of the BJP’s political strategy this poll season.

Be it the abrogation of Article 370 or the CAA Act, he led the government through many sticky situations as home minister. Amit Shah, 59, will once again emerge as a general on the electoral battlefield to rally troops.

Rahul Gandhi: From being the Congress president who gave the party a crushing defeat in 2019, he has gradually become what many call the party’s “ideological compass.” His Kanyakumari to Kashmir Bharat Jodo Yatra gave him a much-needed image makeover, but electoral defeat in state polls has raised a question mark over its effectiveness.

Rahul Gandhi, 53, has once again extended a helping hand to the people through the ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’, a Congress assurance aimed at ensuring justice to the people.

Malikajun Hager: Congress president and party worker, he is an MP from Karnataka who rose through the ranks from Sonia Gandhi to take over the reins of the party in October 2022. Mallikarjun Kharge, 81, now faces his toughest test yet as his Congress party engages in an existential struggle with the powerful Bharatiya Janata Party, with slim odds of winning. .

Mamata Banerjee: The cantankerous and energetic TMC supremo left the opposition Indian bloc on edge over the seat-sharing issue and ultimately decided to go it alone in West Bengal. Mamata Banerjee, 69, has been locked in a bitter confrontation with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and dueling with the saffron party over alleged involvement in Sandeshkhali The issue of sexual abuse by TMC strongmen intensified attacks on her.

Her slogan is “ek la chalo” when it comes to pre-poll collaboration with opposition parties, but she appears to be firm in her ideological stance against the BJP.

Nitish Kumar: Nitish Kumar, known for his survival skills at taking charge in Bihar and changing sides with ease, has made yet another U-turn ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. The 73-year-old leader’s shift to NDA proved to be a major shock for the Indian group. His alliance with the BJP has dramatically changed the scenario in Bihar and it will now be up to the people to judge his latest about-face.

Sharad Pawar: The 83-year-old Maratha strongman, embattled and betrayed by his own nephew Ajit Pawar, may be fighting the toughest battle in the final phase of his career. The shrewd and politically astute 83-year-old is known for his never-say-die attitude, but he could still become a thorn in the side of the NDA in Maharashtra as he could inspire Maha Vikas Aghadi to pose a challenge to the BJP serious challenge.

Senator Stalin: The DMK supremo has established its dominance in Tamil Nadu and put up a stiff resistance to the BJP’s incursions into the state. Stalin is expected to lead the Left and Congress parties to provide much-needed electoral support to the opposition bloc in Tamil Nadu.

Stalin, 71, is also a staunch supporter of the Gandhi family, but the party leader’s controversial remarks on “Sanatan Dharma” have repeatedly put the Indian bloc in trouble and could hurt their standing in the north.

Tejashwi Yadav: The RJD leader has once again been thrust into the opposition camp in Bihar, but his standing within the Indian bloc has risen. Yadav, 34, passionately leads the opposition bloc in Bihar and is seen by many as a worthy heir to his father Lalu Prasad’s legacy in Bihar. Whether he can use his chemistry with the local people to upend the calculations and arithmetic of the NDA will be tested in the Lok Sabha polls.

Asaduddin Owaisi: The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president often plays the role of a “spoiler” for the opposition camp in state polls and is dubbed by some leaders as the B-team of the BJP. Owaisi, 54, has been a staunch advocate for his party’s right to grow and compete across the state outside Telangana.

Will he upset the calculations of the Opposition or the BJP? Owaisi, as always, keeps everyone guessing. The results will be revealed in these polls.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)