Ajay Rai is a 5-time MLA from Pindra constituency in 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 in Varanasi (54 years old; as of 2023). His zodiac sign is Libra. He completed his education from a local school in Varanasi. He went on to graduate from Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith College in Varanasi. His political career began when he joined the youth wing of the BJP. In 1996, he got a parliamentary election ticket from the BJP and eventually won. Over the years, he joined the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Indian National Congress (INC).
Ajay Rai is known as the Strong Man of Varanasi (Baahubali). He was considered more of a gangster and boss than a politician. He faces multiple criminal cases, including rioting, extortion, attempt to murder and cases under the Gangster Act.
Ajay Rai
appearance
Height: 5′5″
Weight: 80kg
Eye color: black
Ajay Rai
family
Ajay Rai belongs to the Bhumihar community. He was born to Surendra Rai and Parvati Devi Rai. He had a brother, Awadhesh Rai, who was allegedly murdered by Mukhtar Ansari. He is married to Rayna Ray. The couple has three children, a son and two daughters.
Ajay Rai and wife Reena Rai
Ajay Rai’s eldest daughter Shraddha Rai
Ajay Rai’s younger daughter Aastha Rai
Ajay Rai’s son Shantanu Rai
political career
Ajay Rai started his political career in the youth wing of the BJP. He eventually joined the Bharatiya Janata Party and was selected to contest the 1996 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections from Kolasala constituency in Varanasi. He unexpectedly defeated CPI’s MLA Udal, who had been the sitting MLA from Kolasala constituency nine times. He is reportedly a new leader with close ties to the public. Since he hails from the Bhoomiha community, which has strong links with Brahmins; this helped him gain votes. This made him popular in Varanasi and the BJP. He met many senior leaders and star campaigners of the BJP.
Ajay Rai and Hema Malini
He was elected as MLA from the same seat for three consecutive times on the BJP ticket. In 2009, the BJP fielded Murli Manohar Joshi when he hoped to contest in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections from Varanasi constituency. This angered Ajay Rai, who quit the BJP and joined the Samajwadi Party (SP); this gave him a ticket to contest the 2009 Lok Sabha elections in Varanasi. He lost the election to the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Quami Ekta Dal (QED), finishing third. Furious over his defeat, he wanted to contest the 2009 assembly elections from the newly created Pindra constituency (as Kolasala constituency was dissolved after delimitation); but the SP did not give him a ticket. He quit the Socialist Party and ran as an independent candidate in the parliamentary elections and won.
Ajay Rai after his victory
In 2012, Ajay Rai joined the Congress. He was selected as the Congress candidate in the 2014 Varanasi elections, competing against Narendra Modi. Ajay Rai suffered a crushing defeat in the election and finished third. Narendra Modi won with 5,84,000 votes while Rai got only 75,000 votes. For the 2019 general elections, there is widespread speculation that Priyanka Gandhi will contest the Varanasi Lok Sabha elections; just a few months before the 2019 general elections, she was appointed as the General Secretary of the Congress Party in Uttar Pradesh East. On April 25, 2019, the Congress once again announced the name of Ajay Rai from Varanasi constituency, putting an end to all these speculations.
उतर प्रदेश की दो सीटों के लिये लोकसभा प्रत्याशि यों क ी घोषणर:
गोरखपुर से श्री मधुसूदन तिवररी, वररणसी से श्री अजय राय (@kashikirai) को लोकसभरत्यरशी घोषित कियरग
सभी प्रत्यर् pic.twitter.com/lzkfEo6dpQ
— UP Congress (@INCUttarPradesh) April 25, 2019
Ajay Rai is once again contesting from Varanasi constituency against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In campaigning, he played the locals versus out-of-towners card. Making people believe that even after winning he will stay in Varanasi but Narendra Modi will run back to Delhi or Gujarat. Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi thoroughly campaigned for Ajay Rai ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Ajay Rai lost the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and finished third. He lost by five votes.
Rahul Gandhi campaigns for Ajay Rai
On August 17, 2023, he was appointed Chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC); Rai took over from Brijlal Khabri, a former member of the Union House. He contested from the Varanasi seat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections but lost to Narendra Modi by a margin of 1,52,513 votes.
dispute
- In 1991, the Mayor of Varanasi filed an FIR against Ajay Rai; it was alleged that Ajay Rai, along with other men, fired at his jeep on August 20, 1991, in the cantonment area. He was arrested but later released as there was no evidence against him.
- In May 2014, when Ajay Rai went to vote for the 2014 general election, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Australian AP (AAP) complained that Ajay Rai was in Wala Congress Party flags are waved at a polling station in Naxi. It violated the Model Code of Conduct and registered a case against him under Section 130 of the Representation of the People Act.
- He was arrested in 2015 following a tip-off from a businessman who accused Ajayi of setting him on fire. Ajay has been booked for attempted murder. He was later released.
- On October 6, 2015, he was arrested along with more than 100 people by the police for violence and arson that occurred during protests against the decision to ban the immersion of Ganesha idols in the Ganges. He was released on bail seven months later.
Ajay Rai arrested
fact
- Ajay Rai has been MLA from Pindra constituency five times.
- He is a very religious man and often attends religious activities and gatherings.
Ajay Rai at a religious gathering
- He was born and bought in Varanasi.
Ajay Rai in Varanasi
- In 2014, when he was preparing to apply for 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 a nomination, he goes to the Kaal Bhairav temple and offers a toast to Lord Kaal Bhairav; this is a local tradition in Varanasi before doing anything important.
Ajay Rai at Kaal Bhairav Temple
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education