Modi Faces Resurgent Opposition in Nehru’s City: India Votes

Each day, Bloomberg journalists take you across a selection of towns and cities as they gear up for the big vote.

Hi, I’m Atul Prakash, Bloomberg’s Asia commodities editor in New Delhi. I spent most of my early years in Phulpur, a constituency in northern state of Uttar Pradesh that has given India two prime ministers, including the first — Jawaharlal Nehru. The other is Vishwanath Pratap Singh, who also got elected twice from neighboring Allahabad, home to one of the holiest sites in Hinduism. The city has also been represented in the past by India’s second prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri and Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan. Despite the high profile representations, the region lags development with poor roads and health infrastructure, as well as water and electricity shortages. A united opposition is putting up a strong fight for these seats held by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party. A recent joint political rally by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and alliance partner Akhilesh Yadav saw a massive crowd resulting in a stampede-like situation. Allahabad, a historic city founded by Mughal emperor Akbar in 1575 AD, and Phulpur, will vote on May 25.