Lok Sabha Elections 2019: To woo Rajputs, Rajnath Singh to hold rally in UP’s Sikandrabad

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has planned a rally for Union home minister Rajnath Singh in Uttar Pradesh’s Sikandrabad on April 4 to canvass votes from the Rajput community in the area.

The move is also aimed at stalling protests by the Karni Sena and the Rajput Uthan Samiti against party’s Gautam Budh Nagar candidate Dr Mahesh Sharma, in several villages in Jewar, Sikandrabad and Khurja, sources in the BJP said.

The Karni Sena and the Rajput Uthan Samiti, both outfits of the Rajput community, claimed that Sharma, the BJP’S sitting Member of Parliament from Gautam Budh Nagar, never visited most villages in Jewar, Sikandrabad and Khurja segments.

“He has not done any development work in these villages. The Rajput community is opposing Sharma’s candidature, and to pacify them, the BJP is holding Rajnath Singh’s rally in Sikandrabad. It will not work, because villages and farmers are angry with the BJP,” Dhiraj Singh, president of the Uttar Pradesh unit of Rajput Uthan Samiti, said.

The BJP, however, clarified that Rajnath Singh’s rally was planned not to appease a particular community, but to reach out to voters from all sections. The party said protests by Rajput outfits will not impact the BJP’S chances in Gautam Budh Nagar.

Sharma also said the rally was targeted at all communities and not just voters of a particular caste.

The Gautam Budh Nagar constituency has five segments— Noida, Dadri, Jewar, Sikandrabad and Khurja.

The largest segment of voters in Gautam Buddh Nagar, of around 4 lakh, are from the Rajput community.

The sizeable number means that the Rajputs play a decisive role in deciding the fate of candidates, leaders said.

Both chief minister Yogi Adityanath and Rajnath Singh are from the Rajput community.

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On March 13, 2019, Sharma had faced protests organised by members of Karni Sena and Rajput Uthan Samiti during his campaign in Mirzapur.

“That’s why the BJP is bringing its Rajput leaders to the Gautam Budh Nagar constituency to campaign,” Dhiraj Singh said.

Later, Sharma had an FIR filed against these protesters. Five of them were arrested and are currently out on bail.

One of the protesters, Karan Singh, of the Karni Sena, on Monday announced its outfit’s support to MP Sharma, after negotiations with the BJP.

However, many other members of the Rajput community are still campaigning against Sharma in villages dominated by the Rajput community.

Sharma said, “Rajnath Singh is our party’s star campaigner. He always campaigns for me, be it in the 2009 elections, the 2012 assembly election or the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. People of all communities from Jewar, Khurja and Sikandrabad will attend Rajnath Singh’s rally. It is not organised to target one particular community. Those who were protesting against me are now with me. Karan Singh has announced his support to the BJP and others will do so soon.”