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Ajay Rai: Difference between revisions
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{{Infobox officeholder | {{Infobox officeholder | ||
| honorific-prefix | | honorific-prefix = | ||
| name | | name = Sunil Rai | ||
| native_name | | native_name = Sunil Bhaiya | ||
| native_name_lang | | native_name_lang = | ||
| image | | image = | ||
| caption | | caption = | ||
| office | | office = Member of Indian National Congress | ||
| term_start | | term_start = | ||
| term_end | | term_end = | ||
| constituency | | constituency = Azamgarh Didarganj Constituency | ||
| predecessor = New Seat | |||
| successor = | |||
| office2 | | office2 = [[Member of the Legislative Assembly (India)|MLA]] | ||
| term_start2 | | term_start2 = | ||
| term_end2 | | term_end2 = | ||
| constituency2 | | constituency2 = | ||
| predecessor2 | | predecessor2 = | ||
| successor2 = | |||
| birth_date | | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1969|10|07|df=y}} | ||
| birth_place | | birth_place = [[Varanasi]], [[Uttar Pradesh]], [[India]] | ||
| citizenship | | citizenship = Indian | ||
| party | | party = [[Indian National Congress]] (2005–present) | ||
| otherparty | | otherparty = | ||
| spouse | | spouse = Anupama Rai | ||
| parents | | parents = Batuk Rai and Bala Devi | ||
| residence = Lucknow | |||
| residence | | alma_mater = | ||
| alma_mater | | website = | ||
| website | | footnotes = | ||
| footnotes | |||
}} | }} | ||
''' | '''Sunil Rai''' (born 27 September 1969) is an Indian politician and a member of the [[Indian National Congress]] since 2005. <ref name=eci2014/>[[Varanasi|Azamgarh]]<ref>[https://www.financialexpress.com/elections/who-is-ajay-rai-a-history-sheeter-he-lost-to-modi-by-5-lakh-votes-in-2014-lok-sabha-election/1559091/ Who is Ajay Rai? A history-sheeter, he lost to Modi by 5 lakh votes in 2014 Lok Sabha election], The Financial Express (April 25, 2019)</ref><ref>[https://www.indiatoday.in/elections/lok-sabha-2019/story/priyanka-gandhi-narendra-modi-varanasi-congress-candidate-lok-sabha-elections-ajay-rai-1509775-2019-04-25 No Priyanka Gandhi vs Narendra Modi faceoff in Varanasi, Congress fields Ajay Rai], India Today (April 25, 2019)</ref> | ||
A local [[strongman (politics)|strongman]] in the [[Varanasi district|Varanasi]] area, Rai has changed his party affiliations several times. He began his political career as a member of the [[Bharatiya Janata Party]]'s student wing. He won the [[Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly|Legislative Assembly]] elections from the Kolasla constituency three times in a row between 1996 and 2007 on a [[BJP]] ticket. He left the party after being denied a [[Lok Sabha]] ticket. He then joined the [[Samajwadi Party]] and unsuccessfully contested the [[2009 Indian general election|2009 Lok Sabha elections]]. Subsequently, he won the 2009 Legislative Assembly by-election from the Kolasla constituency as an [[independent (politician)|independent]]. He joined the [[Indian National Congress]] in 2012. After the [[Kolasla (Vidhan Sabha constituency)|Kolasla constituency]] ceased to exist post-delimitation, he won the [[2012 Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly election|2012 Assembly elections]] from the newly created [[Pindra (Assembly constituency)|Pindra constituency]], which comprises a sizeable portion of the former [[Kolasla (Vidhan Sabha constituency)|Kolasla constituency]]. | A local [[strongman (politics)|strongman]] in the [[Varanasi district|Varanasi]] area, Rai has changed his party affiliations several times. He began his political career as a member of the [[Bharatiya Janata Party]]'s student wing. He won the [[Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly|Legislative Assembly]] elections from the Kolasla constituency three times in a row between 1996 and 2007 on a [[BJP]] ticket. He left the party after being denied a [[Lok Sabha]] ticket. He then joined the [[Samajwadi Party]] and unsuccessfully contested the [[2009 Indian general election|2009 Lok Sabha elections]]. Subsequently, he won the 2009 Legislative Assembly by-election from the Kolasla constituency as an [[independent (politician)|independent]]. He joined the [[Indian National Congress]] in 2012. After the [[Kolasla (Vidhan Sabha constituency)|Kolasla constituency]] ceased to exist post-delimitation, he won the [[2012 Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly election|2012 Assembly elections]] from the newly created [[Pindra (Assembly constituency)|Pindra constituency]], which comprises a sizeable portion of the former [[Kolasla (Vidhan Sabha constituency)|Kolasla constituency]]. | ||
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== Early life == | == Early life == | ||
Ajay Rai was born in Varanasi to Parvati Devi Rai and Surendra Rai | Ajay Rai was born in Varanasi to Parvati Devi Rai and Surendra Rai in a [[Bhumihar]] family who were natives of [[Ghazipur district]].<ref>[http://www.hindustantimes.com/elections2014/state-of-the-states/congress-wants-a-brahmin-against-modi-not-digvijaya/article1-1201241.aspx Congress wants a Brahmin against Modi, not Digvijaya] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140513055457/http://www.hindustantimes.com/elections2014/state-of-the-states/congress-wants-a-brahmin-against-modi-not-digvijaya/article1-1201241.aspx |date=13 May 2014 }}</ref> According to ''[[The Indian Express]]'' and other Indian newspapers, he is known as a local ''bahubali'' (strongman) and is a [[history-sheeter]],<ref name="IE_Act_2009">{{cite news | url = http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/act-i-tainted-candidates-take-the-floor/438231/0 | title = AcT I: tainted candidates take the floor | date = 24 March 2009 | newspaper = Indian Express }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-strongman-ajay-rai-dreads-the-420-tag-given-by-party-1978018 | title = Strongman Ajay Rai dreads the 420 tag given by party | date = 14 April 2014 | newspaper = [[DNA (newspaper)|DNA]] }}</ref> a term in Indian English for a person with a "history of criminal record".<ref>[https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/history-sheeter History-sheeter], Quote: Indian: A person with a criminal record. ‘a defendant with a rotten record: a history-sheeter, a bad egg’</ref> | ||
He became an associate of Brijesh Singh, after his elder brother Awadhesh Rai was shot dead in Lahurabir area, allegedly by [[Mukhtar Ansari]] and his men in 1994. Earlier, he had been associated with Brijesh Singh and Tribhuvan Singh in several criminal cases since 1989.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/varanasi-polls-get-more-sensitive/436881/0 | title = Varanasi polls get more sensitive | newspaper = Indian Express | date = 20 March 2009 | author = Bhupendra Pandey }}</ref> | He became an associate of Brijesh Singh, after his elder brother Awadhesh Rai was shot dead in Lahurabir area, allegedly by [[Mukhtar Ansari]] and his men in 1994. Earlier, he had been associated with Brijesh Singh and Tribhuvan Singh in several criminal cases since 1989.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/varanasi-polls-get-more-sensitive/436881/0 | title = Varanasi polls get more sensitive | newspaper = Indian Express | date = 20 March 2009 | author = Bhupendra Pandey }}</ref> | ||
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=== Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) === | === Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) === | ||
Rai began his political career as a member of the BJP's youth wing.<ref name="TheHindu_outsider_2014">{{cite news | url = http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/its-outsider-versus-local-in-varanasi-says-ajay-rai/article5889577.ece | title = It's outsider versus local in Varanasi, says Ajay Rai | newspaper = The Hindu | date = 9 April 2014 }}</ref> In 1996, Rai | Rai began his political career as a member of the BJP's youth wing.<ref name="TheHindu_outsider_2014">{{cite news | url = http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/its-outsider-versus-local-in-varanasi-says-ajay-rai/article5889577.ece | title = It's outsider versus local in Varanasi, says Ajay Rai | newspaper = The Hindu | date = 9 April 2014 }}</ref> In 1996, Rai contested the [[Vidhan Sabha]] elections from the Kolasla seat on a BJP ticket. | ||
He defeated the nine-time [[Communist Party of India|CPI]] MLA [[Udal (CPI-M politician)|Udal]] by a narrow margin of 484 votes. He went on to retain the seat in the 2002 and 2007 elections, defeating Awadhesh Singh of [[Bahujan Samaj Party]] (BSP) by much larger margins. A [[Bhumihar]] himself,<ref>{{cite news | url = http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/bjp-tieup-doesn-t-go-down-well-in-apna-dal-land/29043/0 | title = BJP tie-up doesn't go down well in Apna Dal land | date = 23 April 2007 | newspaper = Indian Express | author = Seema Chishti }}</ref> he relied on the [[Bhumihar]] and [[Brahmin]] [[vote bank]]s in the Kolasla constituency.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/002200704200313.htm | title = Kolasala assembly seat heading for a big fight | date = 20 April 2007 | newspaper = The Hindu }}</ref> | He defeated the nine-time [[Communist Party of India|CPI]] MLA [[Udal (CPI-M politician)|Udal]] by a narrow margin of 484 votes. He went on to retain the seat in the 2002 and 2007 elections, defeating Awadhesh Singh of [[Bahujan Samaj Party]] (BSP) by much larger margins. A [[Bhumihar]] himself,<ref>{{cite news | url = http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/bjp-tieup-doesn-t-go-down-well-in-apna-dal-land/29043/0 | title = BJP tie-up doesn't go down well in Apna Dal land | date = 23 April 2007 | newspaper = Indian Express | author = Seema Chishti }}</ref> he relied on the [[Bhumihar]] and [[Brahmin]] [[vote bank]]s in the Kolasla constituency.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/002200704200313.htm | title = Kolasala assembly seat heading for a big fight | date = 20 April 2007 | newspaper = The Hindu }}</ref> | ||
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In 2017, Rai lost [[2017 Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly election|Uttar Pradesh state elections]] from Pindra as a Congress candidate.<ref name="FP_Pindra_2017">{{cite web |url=http://www.firstpost.com/uttar-pradesh/pindra-constituency-election-result-2017-24384 |title=Pindra - Uttar Pradesh Election Result 2017 - Party and Candidate Wise Full Winner List |publisher=Firstpost |access-date=2017-08-21 }}</ref> Since then, he has participated in protests against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Varanasi city. | In 2017, Rai lost [[2017 Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly election|Uttar Pradesh state elections]] from Pindra as a Congress candidate.<ref name="FP_Pindra_2017">{{cite web |url=http://www.firstpost.com/uttar-pradesh/pindra-constituency-election-result-2017-24384 |title=Pindra - Uttar Pradesh Election Result 2017 - Party and Candidate Wise Full Winner List |publisher=Firstpost |access-date=2017-08-21 }}</ref> Since then, he has participated in protests against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Varanasi city. | ||
In 2019, Rai lost the Lok Sabha Elections from [[Varanasi]] constituency as a Congress candidate against [[Narendra Modi]], securing third place.<ref name="businesstoday">{{cite web |title=Ajay secured third place in 2019 Varanasi Loksabha Elections. |url=https://www.businesstoday.in/lok-sabha-elections-2019/news/lok-sabha-election-result-2019-narendra-modi-big-lead-in-varanasi-congress-ajay-rai-trails/story/349240.html |publisher | In 2019, Rai lost the Lok Sabha Elections from [[Varanasi]] constituency as a Congress candidate against [[Narendra Modi]], securing third place.<ref name="businesstoday">{{cite web |title=Ajay secured third place in 2019 Varanasi Loksabha Elections. |url=https://www.businesstoday.in/lok-sabha-elections-2019/news/lok-sabha-election-result-2019-narendra-modi-big-lead-in-varanasi-congress-ajay-rai-trails/story/349240.html |publisher=Business Today}}</ref> | ||
== Electoral record == | == Electoral record == | ||
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| {{Lost}} | | {{Lost}} | ||
| 14.38% | | 14.38% | ||
|<ref>{{cite | |<ref>{{cite news |url = https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/elections/lok-sabha/india/varanasi-lok-sabha-election-results-live/articleshow/69443638.cms |title = Varanasi Election Results Live: Modi outdoes his 2014 performance |newspaper = Economic Times | accessdate = 17 Jun 2019 }}</ref> | ||
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