By replacing incumbent MP Brij Bhushan Singh with his son Karan Bhushan Singh for the Kaiserganj Lok Sabha seat, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) keeps the electoral competition within the family, underscoring the significant influence of the six-time Member of Parliament.
The 67-year-old BJP stalwart was omitted from the ticket list for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections due to allegations of sexual harassment leveled against him by six women wrestlers. These athletes had staged prolonged protests against him last year. Earlier this month, a Delhi court ruled that charges should be brought against him.
Voting for the Kaiserganj seat is scheduled for the fifth phase on May 20. It encompasses five Vidhan Sabha seats: Payagpur, Kaiserganj, Katra Bazar, Colonelganj, and Tarabganj.
Brij Bhushan Singh’s son Karan Bhushan Singh is contesting against Samajwadi Party candidate Ram Bhagat Mishra, who is the elder brother of Shravasti zila panchayat president and former BJP MP from Shravasti, Daddan Mishra. The Bahujan Samaj Party has nominated Narendra Pandey for the seat.
Karan, the younger son of Singh, aims to maintain the family’s stronghold on the seat, given his father Brij Bhushan’s six-time victory there, while his mother Ketaki also served as a former MP from Gonda. Furthermore, Brij Bhushan’s elder son, Prateek, has been an MLA from Gonda twice.
In the 2019 elections, Brij Bhushan Singh secured 5,81,358 votes, defeating the BSP candidate who garnered 3,19,757 votes.
The Thakur leader mentioned that his son, Karan Bhushan Singh, has gained considerable support in Kaiserganj and neighboring districts.
Prior to the party’s announcement, Brij Bhushan expressed confidence that the BJP would nominate him again for the seat. He stated that there was a 99.9 percent likelihood of him contesting the seat.
“I am not a candidate right now. But the BJP has no contest on the Kaiserganj Lok Sabha seat. Last time, victory was won by more than 2 lakh votes; this time, the workers have given a slogan of 5 lakh votes. If God has decided this, what can I do? But I am a strong contender, so I will contest 99.9 per cent, 0.1 per cent would remain.”
In addition to Kaiserganj in Uttar Pradesh, the constituencies of Amethi, Lucknow, Mohanlalganj, Hamirpur, Jalaun, Jhansi, Banda, Fatehpur, Kaushambhi, Faizabad, Barabanki, Raebareli, and Gonda will also go to the polls on May 20.