BJP dragging feet over giving tickets in Modi’s Varanasi constituency

Lucknow

Even as the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced candidates in all major religious towns of Uttar Pradesh (UP), including Gorakhpur, Prayagraj and Ayodhya, the saffron party is still dragging its feet over giving tickets in the VIP constituency of Varanasi.

Since Varanasi is the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the party is not taking any chances in the selection of candidates.

According to sources, BJP ally Apna Dal (Sonelal) is seeking two assembly seats in Varanasi, which comprises a total of eight assembly segments, viz. Rohaniya, Pindra, Varanasi North, Varanasi South, Varanasi Cantt, Ajgara, Shivpur and Sevapuri.

In the 2017 UP assembly polls, BJP had won six of the eight assembly seats in Varanasi, while its allies Apna Dal (S) and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) had won the remaining two segments in Sevapuri and Ajgara respectively.

Now, Om Prakash Rajbhar-led SBSP has allied with the opposition Samajwadi Party (SP) ahead of the 2022 assembly polls.

Meanwhile, Congress has already upped the ante by announcing the candidature of Ajay Rai and Rajeshwar Singh Patel from Pindra and Rohaniya constituencies in Varanasi respectively.

However, Anupriya Patel-led Apna Dal (S) is demanding another Varanasi constituency, either Rohaniya or Pindra, apart from Sevapuri, to contest.

Since the issues of the selection of BJP candidates and the demand for two seats in Varanasi by Apna Dal (S) have not been satisfactorily resolved, the final call is likely to be taken by Modi, sources added.

Meanwhile, the BJP has so far declared 295 candidates, including 37 women, for UP, while Apna Dal (S) has declared candidates on four seats.

Although the BJP and Apna Dal (S) have reached a consensus on 14 seats in UP, an additional kitty of 4-5 seats to the junior partner is to be decided by the two all-weather allies.

Besides, the saffron party is coaxing upon another UP ally Nishad Party, led by Sanjay Nishad, to field its candidates on the BJP symbol. But he is unyielding on his stand to contest the elections on the Nishad Party symbol instead.