Ajay Rai is a 5-time MLA from Pindra seat of Varanasi. He was the Congress candidate against Narendra Modi in the 2014 and 2019 general elections.
Wiki/Biography
Ajay Rai was born on 19 October 1969 (age 49 years; as in 2019) in Varanasi. His zodiac sign is Libra. He did his schooling from a local school in Varanasi. He did his graduation from Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth, Varanasi. His political career started when he joined the youth wing of BJP. In 1996, he was given a BJP ticket for the assembly elections, which he won. Over the years, he joined the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Indian National Congress (INC).
Ajay Rai is known as a Baahubali in Varanasi. He is considered more of a gangster and don than a politician. There are several criminal cases against him, including rioting, extortion, attempt to murder and cases under the Gangster Act.
Ajay Rai
Physical Appearance
Height: 5′ 5″
Weight: 80 kg
Eye colour: black
Ajay Rai
Family
Ajay Rai is from Bhumihar community. He was born to Surendra Rai and Parvati Devi Rai. He had a brother, Avadhesh Rai, who was allegedly murdered by Mukhtar Ansari. He is married to Reena Rai. The couple has 3 children, a son and 2 daughters.
Ajay Rai with his wife Reena Rai
Ajay Rai’s elder daughter is Shraddha Rai
Ajay Rai’s younger daughter Aastha Rai
Ajay Rai’s son Shantanu Rai
political career
Ajay Rai started his political career from the youth wing of BJP. He eventually joined the BJP and was selected to contest the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections in 1996 from the Kolasala constituency of Varanasi. He unexpectedly won against CPI MLA Udal; Because Udal had been MLA from Kolsala constituency 9 times. It was told that he is a new leader who has a deep connection with the public. Since he belonged to the Bhumihar community, which has close ties to Brahmins; This helped him in getting votes. This made him quite popular in Varanasi as well as within the BJP. He met many senior BJP leaders and star campaigners.
Ajay Rai with Hema Malini
He was elected MLA from the same seat for three consecutive times on BJP ticket. In 2009, when he was expected to get a ticket to contest from the Varanasi constituency in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP fielded Murli Manohar Joshi instead. This angered Ajay Rai and he left BJP and joined Samajwadi Party (SP); Which gave him the ticket to contest from Varanasi in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections. He lost the election to BJP and Qaumi Ekta Dal (QED) and finished third. Hurt by his defeat, he wanted to contest the 2009 assembly election from the newly formed Pindra constituency (as the Kolasla constituency was dissolved after delimitation); But SP did not give him the ticket. He left SP and contested the assembly elections as an independent candidate and won.
Ajay Rai after victory
Ajay Rai joined Congress in 2012. He was selected as the Congress candidate from Varanasi for the 2014 general elections to contest against Narendra Modi. Ajay Rai suffered a massive defeat in the elections and stood third. Narendra Modi won by 5,84000 votes and Rai got only 75,000 votes. For the 2019 general elections, it was widely speculated that Priyanka Gandhi would contest the Lok Sabha elections from Varanasi; Because just a few months before the 2019 general elections, he was made the Congress General Secretary of Eastern Uttar Pradesh. On April 25, 2019, Congress put an end to all those speculations by again announcing the name of Ajay Rai from Varanasi seat.
Norwegian Stockholm’s announcement for two divisions of Uttar Pradesh:
Shri Madhusudan Tiwari from Gorakhpur, Shri Ajay Rai from Varanasi (@kashikirai) Homosexual discomfort declared.
Best wishes to all friends. pic.twitter.com/lzkfEo6dpQ
– UP Congress (@INCUttarPradesh) 25 April 2019
Ajay Rai contested re-election from Varanasi seat against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. During the campaign he played the local versus outsider card; Explaining to the people that even after winning, he will stay in Varanasi, but Narendra Modi will run back to Delhi or Gujarat. Before the Lok Sabha elections, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi had campaigned heavily for Ajay Rai. Ajay Rai lost in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and stood third. He lost by 5 lakh votes.
Rahul Gandhi is campaigning for Ajay Rai
On 17 August 2023, he was appointed as the President of Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC); Rai removed former Rajya Sabha member Brijlal Khabri from this post.
controversies
- In 1991, the Mayor of Varanasi had filed an FIR against Ajay Rai; Claiming that Ajay Rai, along with others, had fired at his jeep in the cantonment area on 20 August 1991. He was arrested but later let go as there was no evidence against him.
- In May 2014, when Ajay Rai went to vote for the 2014 general elections, the BJP and Aam Aadmi Party filed a complaint against him on the grounds that Ajay Rai had waved the Congress party flag inside a polling booth in Varanasi. This violated the model code of conduct and a case was registered against him under Section 130 of the Representation of the People Act.
- In 2015, he was arrested on the complaint of a businessman who accused Ajay of burning him. A case of attempt to murder was registered against Ajay. Later he was released.
- On 6 October 2015, he was arrested by the police along with over 100 people for violence and arson that occurred during protests against the decision to ban the immersion of Ganesha idols in the river Ganga. After 7 months he was released on bail.
Ajay Rai arrested
fact
- Ajay Rai has been MLA from Pindra assembly constituency 5 times.
- He is a very religious person and often attends religious ceremonies and gatherings.
Ajay Rai in religious meeting
- He was born and brought up in Varanasi.
Ajay Rai in Varanasi
- In 2014, when he was going to file his nomination for the 2014 general elections, he was accompanied by Raj Babbar and Union Commerce Minister Anand Sharma.
Ajay Rai with Raj Babbar and Anand Sharma
- Whenever Ajay Rai files his nomination, he goes to the Kaal Bhairav temple to offer liquor to Lord Kaal Bhairav; A local tradition in Varanasi before doing any important work.
Ajay Rai in Kalbhairav Temple
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn