AMU V-C, Nripendra Misra’s son among 6 names proposed for Legislative Council

Sources in the government as well as in the ruling BJP said the list has been sent to Governor Anandiben Patel for her approval.

According to the sources, the other four persons on the list include Lalji Prasad Nirmal, Rajnikant Maheshwari, Hansraj Vishwakarma and Ramsurat Rajbhar.

“Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) is a prestigious academic institution and is known worldwide. By recommending AMU V-C’s name, the government has tried to send a positive message among the intellectual class in the Muslim community,” said a BJP leader.

Mansoor, 66, became the V-C of AMU in 2017. He has been associated with the university for many years.

A senior BJP functionary said that Mansoor’s name was decided by the party’s central leadership, while the names of the other five were proposed by the state unit.

“The BJP wants to give tickets to Muslim candidates in future elections. But in the past, it has been seen that Muslim candidate does not get enough support from their community voters and lose. By nominating Muslims, especially from institutions like AMU, the party is trying to convince that BJP is serious about seeking their support with the slogan of ‘sabka saath-sabka vikas‘ and wants to give them representations in the legislature. The party is preparing the ground for the future,” said the party functionary.

Saket Misra, on the other hand, is an investment banker and an adviser in Poorvanchal Vikas Board in Uttar Pradesh.

An alumnus of IIM-Calcutta, Misra is said to be actively involved with the BJP in Shravasti in east UP for the past four to five years.

Sources said he wanted to contest the Lok Sabha election from Shravasti in 2019 but BJP did not give him the ticket and fielded Daddan Misra, who lost to BSP’s Ram Shiromani.

His father Nripendra Misra served as principal secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. At present, Nripendra Misra is chairman of the construction committee of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, set up by the Government of India to construct the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

Lalji Prasad Nirmal, a prominent Dalit leader and social worker, is the president of Ambedkar Mahasabha Trust. He is also the chairperson of UP Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation.

Maheshwari belongs to Kasganj district and he served as president of BJP’s Braj regional unit for two terms. Last week, he was replaced by Dhruvvijay Singh Shakya.

Vishwakarma, an OBC leader, is the president of BJP’s Varanasi district unit. He participated in the Ram temple movement.

Ramsurat Rajbhar is also an OBC leader, who lost the Assembly election from Phholpur-Pawai in Azamgarh district last year.