Three candidates blazing the trail! - Gallery 11

Gulnar Hasnain, Green candidate for Vauxhall

Gulnar only became active in politics after spending a year in Istanbul and seeing first hand evidence of how a historic city can be ruined; and the rights of vulnerable communities ignored without a political movement challenging the government on issues such as transport, affordable housing and access to green spaces.

She has been a student in London, and worked in both the private and public sector. Gulnar is now a self-employed mum.

Gulnar became the first mainstream political candidate in the UK to accept bitcoin donations towards a parliamentary campaign.  Her crowdfunding campaign raised £1,000 to help print 50,000 leaflets as part of her bid to be elected as the first Green MP in Vauxhall, London.

Twitter: @gulnar73
FB: https://www.facebook.com/VauxhallGreenParty
Featured: https://www.greenparty.org.uk/

Rishi Sunak, Conservative candidate for Richmond, Yorks

Rishi is a hedgefund manager from Hampshire, where his father is an NHS family GP and mother run her own local chemist shop.

Rishi studied at Oxford University and Stanford University.  The experience changed his life and resulted in his passion for ensuring everybody has access to a quality education.

He is a school governor, a board member of a large youth club, and volunteers his time to education programmes that spread opportunity.

The 34-year-old surprised many commentators by being selected to contest the country's safest Tory seat currently held by the soon-to-be retiring William Hague.  

His career with the Tories amounts to a week of work experience in Conservative Central Office; whereas other hopefuls from all the big parties have often worked as researchers, party officials and special advisors before seeking election.

A lifelong Southampton FC supporter, he has already applied for a Yorkshire Cricket Club season ticket.

FB: https://www.facebook.com/rishisunak
Web: http://www.rishisunak.com/

Uma Kumaran, Labour candidate for Harrow East

Uma's parents moved to the UK and settled in Harrow to escape the civil war in Sri Lanka, where her grandfather was a civil servant and trade unionist.

She was educated at Newton Farm Primary School, Bentleywood High School and St Dominic's Sixth Form College, all in Harrow.  She completed her BA Politics and MSc Public Policy at Queen Mary University.

She was selected in November 2013, and said at the time: "Nationally at the moment we are having a debate about immigration, and it is important to have that debate, but I believe that in Harrow, we are a success story of modern multicultural Britain.  That is what makes it such a great place to live."

Standing in her first general election, her attempts to unseat Conservative MP Bob Blackman - who has a 3,403 majority - will focus on the economy and the health service.

Twitter: @Uma_Kumaran
FB: https://www.facebook.com/uma.kumaran.uk
Web: http://www.umakumaran.com/