2024 LS polls: Suspense over BJP candidates on 12 U.P. seats continues
The BJP central election committee in its meeting held at Delhi on March 23 had discussed the probable candidates on various Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh
Even as only a week is left in the start of nomination filing for the third phase of the Lok Sabha election, suspense prevails over the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates on 12 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh.
The BJP central election committee in its meeting held at Delhi on March 23 that was attended by PM Narendra Modi, BJP president JP Nadda, home minister Amit Shah, defence minister Rajnath Singh, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, Uttar Pradesh deputy CMs Brijesh Pathak and Keshav Prasad Maurya had discussed the probable candidates on various Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, out of the 12 seats the BJP had bagged 9 seats while the SP had bagged Mainpuri, the BSP had won Ghazipur and Congress had won the Rae Bareli seat.
The BJP released the first list of the candidates on 51 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh on March 2 while the candidates on 13 Lok Sabha seats (including changing one candidate) in the state were announced on March 24.
Out of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP has allotted five seats to its alliance partners. The party leaders had deliberated over the probable candidates for the remaining 12 seats but it was announced that their will be announced soon.
However, as the wait is getting longer, churning has started among the ticket aspirants. The speculation that majority of the sitting MPs will be denied ticket has sparked intense lobbying for the ticket among the contenders.
Several ticket aspirants are camping in Delhi to meet senior party leaders who play a key role in the allotment of the tickets. According to sources, the BJP is waiting for the announcement of the candidate by the Congress on Rae Bareli seat to finalise its candidate.
The BJP had not won the Rae Bareli seat in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha election even as Modi wave swept the state, Congress candidate Sonia Gandhi held the fort. After Sonia opted for Rajya Sabha, the BJP sees an opportunity to breach the Congress fort.
Samajwadi Party has also maintained hold over Mainpuri seat since 1996 Lok Sabha election. In the 2014 and 2019 polls, the SP countered the saffron brigade strategy to grab the seat.
The BJP is screening a strong candidate to challenge SP candidate Dimple Yadav. A minister in the state government is also in the race for the ticket.
According to sources, the BJP is likely to field an upper caste candidate to regain Ghazipur seat that it lost in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. BJP candidate from Ballia seat Virendra Singh Mast is likely to be shifted to another seat.
Sitting BJP MP Ramapati Ram Tripathi is in race for ticket from Deoria seat whereas local BJP leaders are also lobbying for the ticket. The candidates on Allahabad, Phulpur and Kaushambi seats are likely to be changed.
Among the 12 seats, filing of the nominations on two seats— Firozabad and Mainpuri—going to poll in the third phase will start on April 12 while the filing of papers on three seats—Rae Bareli, Kaushambi and Kaiserganj—going to poll in the fifth phase will commence on April 26.
The filing of nomination on four seats —Phulpur, Allahabad, Machhlishahr and Bhadohi—going to the polls in the sixth phase will start on April 29 and the filing of the nomination on remaining three seats—Deoria, Ghazipur and Ballia—going to the polls in the seventh phase will commence on May 7.
Braj Bhushan vying for ticket again
The delay over announcement of the candidate from Kaiserganj Lok Sabha seat from where six- term MP Braj Bhushan Sharan Singh is vying for the ticket again has led to anxiety among his supporters who have already launched campaign in the constituency.
Even after women wrestlers led by Olympians Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik had accused Singh of mental torture and sexual harassment, he remains defiant against the charges pressing for the 2024 Lok Sabha election ticket on the BJP leadership.
According to sources, the BJP leaders have offered Singh to field his wife Ketaki Singh or son Prateek Bhushan Singh, who is an MLA from Gonda seat, but Singh has turned down the offer. “The party leadership will take decision over the fate of Singh soon,” said a BJP leader.
