Congress banks on Ajay Rai again in Varanasi against PM Modi; All you need to know about Ajay Rai
The Congress party unveiled its latest roster of 46 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections on Saturday, marking another significant development in its election preparations.
Among the prominent names announced by the party, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh has been nominated to contest from the Rajgarh Lok Sabha constituency. Additionally, Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai has been fielded as the party's candidate from Varanasi, where he will face Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Ajay Rai, a seasoned politician with a strong local influence in the Varanasi region, boasts a political career marked by various party affiliations. Beginning his journey as a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party's student wing, Rai has navigated through different political alignments over the years. Notably, he secured victory in the Legislative Assembly elections from the Kolasla constituency on three consecutive occasions between 1996 and 2007 under the BJP banner.
However, Rai's departure from the BJP stemmed from being denied a Lok Sabha ticket, leading him to join the Samajwadi Party where he contested the 2009 Lok Sabha elections unsuccessfully.
Subsequently, Rai tasted success in the 2009 Legislative Assembly by-election from the Kolasla constituency as an independent candidate. In 2012, he aligned himself with the Indian National Congress, winning the Assembly elections from the newly formed Pindra constituency, which incorporated a significant portion of the erstwhile Kolasla constituency.
Rai's electoral journey also includes his candidature for the Varanasi parliamentary seat in both the 2014 and 2019 general elections, where he faced defeat against Narendra Modi.
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Ambulance hits Tirumala devotees, two women dead
Chandragiri (Andhra Pradesh), Jan 6: Two women devotees on their way to Tirumala died here in Tirupati district in the wee hours of Monday after being hit by an ambulance, said a police official.
A 108-ambulance coming from Piler hit the devotees around 4 am between Rangampeta and Mangapuram, said the official.
"The ambulance hit seven devotees from behind. Two of them died and five others sustained injuries," the official told PTI. Police registered a case under section 106 clause 1 of BNS.
Meanwhile, Tirupati superintendent of police L Subba Rayudu said that fog could be the reason for the early morning accident.
He exhorted the devotees who prefer to go the temple by walk, to tread on the side of the road and to be watchful so that accidents can be be avoided. He also said that winter nights are plagued with low visibility due to foggy conditions.
