The BJP has announced the candidature of Dinesh Pratap Singh from Rae Bareli, replacing Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Rae Bareli is considered the stronghold of the Congress party, and this move by the BJP is seen as significant. Dinesh Pratap Singh, a former Congressman, had contested against Sonia Gandhi in 2019 but lost by a margin of over 1.67 lakh votes. This time, with Sonia opting out of the Lok Sabha polls, the contest has become crucial.
Dinesh Pratap Singh is expected to leverage his local connect amongst grassroot functionaries, especially at the gram and block level, to gain an advantage. He has been actively holding meetings with different sections within the constituency for the past many days. Even the local BJP organisational cadre had been pressing for his name as the candidate from Rae Bareli.
On the other hand, by denying a ticket to Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the BJP aims to send a message of distancing itself from tainted leaders. Brij Bhushan Singh, a former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief, has been facing charges of sexual harassment by several women wrestlers. With Singh’s denial of a ticket, the number of MPs benched by the BJP in the ongoing Lok Sabha election has grown to 15.
Brij Bhushan Singh, a six-time MP, holds significant influence in certain regions, particularly in and around Gonda. He owns or is closely associated with nearly 54 educational institutions that span four districts – Gonda, Balrampur, Bahraich, and Shrawasti. The denial of his ticket has sparked speculation about alternative candidates, including his wife Ketaki or son Prateek, who is currently an MLA from Gonda sadar.
With the announcement of Dinesh Pratap Singh and Karan Bhushan Sharan Singh, the BJP has now fielded 13 Rajput candidates out of its total candidates for the 75 seats it is contesting. Some of the other prominent Rajput candidates include Rajnath Singh (Lucknow), Jagdambika Pal (Domariyaganj), and Neeraj Shekhar (Ballia).
The BJP has completed its candidate announcements for all the seats it is contesting in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. However, its ally Apna Dal (S) is yet to announce its candidate for Robertsganj, currently represented by sitting MP Pakauri Lal Kol.
