HIGH STAKES IN 5th PHASE

Lucknow: The election cycle has entered the doorstep of Purvanchal. In this round, the political credibility of the former princely states is going to be tested. BJP has fielded Sanjay Singh of Amethi royal family by replacing sitting MLA Garima Singh.

He is in competition with Maharaji Devi, wife of jailed ex-minister Gayatri Prajapati, Ashish Shukla of Congress and Ragini Tiwari of BSP.

Raghuraj Pratap Singh aka Raja Bhaiya, a well-known independent MLA of the princely state Kunda of Pratapgarh, has entered the fray on behalf of his Jansatta Party.

SP’s Gulshan Yadav is pitching against him. Faces of political families are also in the contest. Cabinet minister Mukut Bihari Verma has transferred his political legacy to son Gaurav; latter is BJP candidate from Kaiserganj.

Apna Dal (Kameravadi) chief Krishna Patel’s daughter Pallavi Patel is contesting against DyCM Keshav Prasad Maurya from Sirathu seat of Kaushambi as SP candidate, while Congress veteran Pramod Tiwari’s daughter Aradhana Mishra is fighting from Rampurkhas seat.

Leaders of tainted image and their family members are also in the electoral fray. Aarti Tiwari, wife of jailed BJP MLA Khabbu Tiwari, is contesting from Gosaiganj of Ayodhya.

Mafia kingpin Abhay Singh is present against her on behalf of SP. Bahubali Yashbhadra Singh Monu is BSP candidate from Sultanpur’s Isauli seat.

Veer Singh Patel, son of gangster Dadua, is in the fray from Manikpur of Chitrakoot. The Shah couple is contesting in Bahraich district. SP’s Yasar Shah is in fray from Sadar seat and his wife Maria Shah is SP candidate from Matera.

Abbas Ali Zaidi alias Rushdie Mian, who was MLA from Rudauli seat three times, was denied ticket and is contesting as a BSP candidate leaving SP.

From Phulpur, SP turncoat Mujtaba Siddiqui is contesting as BSP candidate against BJP MLA Praveen Patel. BSP MLA from Handia, Hakim Lal Bind is SP candidate this time.

Aslam Raini, BSP MLA from Bhinga, is now contesting from Shravasti seat on SP ticket. SP turncoat Mohd Ramzan is Congress candidate.