Meet Priya Saroj, One Of The Youngest Lok Sabha Winner From Machhlishahr

The Samajwadi Party (SP) has found success in the recent Lok Sabha elections with their new strategy under the leadership of national president Akhilesh Yadav. By fielding young candidates from well-known political families, the SP has managed to claim three seats previously held by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). This victory, announced on Tuesday, June 4, marks a significant shift in the political landscape, showcasing the effectiveness of the SP’s new approach.

One of the key wins for the SP came from the Machhlishahr constituency, where 25-year-old Priya Saroj emerged victorious. Priya Saroj, the daughter of three-time MP Toofani Saroj, defeated incumbent BJP MP Bholanath (BP Saroj) by a margin of 35,850 votes. She garnered 451,292 votes in total. In the same race, BSP’s Kripa Shankar Saroj secured 157,291 votes. The other nine candidates in the fray failed to make a significant impact, with each receiving fewer votes than the NOTA (None of the Above) option, which had 9,303 votes.

Who Is Priya Saroj

Priya Saroj's professional background, according to her election affidavit filed with the Election Commission of India and analysed by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, is in the law business. At 25 years old, she is a graduate professional with total declared assets amounting to Rs 11.3 lakh. 

These assets are entirely movable, with no immovable assets listed. She declared a total income of Rs 0, including no self-income, and her total liabilities also stand at Rs 0. However, her election affidavit did disclose that she has two criminal cases registered against her.

Priya Saroj, along with Pushpendra Saroj and Shambhavi Choudhary, have made history as the youngest candidates to win the Lok Sabha elections at the age of 25. Pushpendra Saroj secured his victory in the Kaushambi constituency, while Priya Saroj triumphed in the Machhlishahr constituency, and Shambhavi Choudhary, the NDA candidate from the Samastipur constituency in North Bihar.

Machhlishahr, the constituency Priya Saroj now represents, is a significant area in Uttar Pradesh. It is part of the North region of India and falls within the Poorvanchal region of Uttar Pradesh. The constituency encompasses parts of the Jaunpur and Varanasi districts. Machhlishahr is a rural constituency and is reserved for candidates from the Scheduled Castes. The seat went to polls in Phase 6 of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections on Saturday, May 25.