Pipraich by-poll,a Catch-22 situation for BSP

The party had earlier decided not to contest any Assembly by-elections in the run-up to the next year’s elections in the state,but Rajmati’s presence in the electoral fray as an Independent is all set to trouble the BSP. Sources said that she did not consult the party before jumping into the electoral fray. The by-election to Pipraich seat,was necessitated by her husband’s death in a road accident in November 2010. The election is scheduled for May 8 and the process for filing the nomination papers will begin from April 11.

“My mother will file her nomination papers on April 11,’’ said Amarendra Nishad,son of Rajmati.

He said Rajmati met Chief Minister on two previous occasions — in December and in February during an internal meeting of the BSP. Though he refused to elaborate on the issues discussed between the two,he said: “My mother had expressed her desire to contest the by-election.”

The state government had made Rajmati a member of state commission for women after Nishad’s death in a road accident. The former minister,who had to resign from his post following his alleged involvement in the murder of a police constable in June 2008,died days after he was released on bail.

Sources in the BSP said the party was planning to extend support to Jitendra Jaiswal who is set to contest as an Independent. Jaiswal,who represented Piparaich for terms in the past,was defeated by Nishad in the 2007 Assembly elections. He had then received support from the Samajwadi Party. But after the elections,he joined the BSP and this time too he is planning to contest as an Independent. “I had joined the BSP during the last Lok Sabha polls. Since the party has decided to stay away from by-elections,I will file my nomination papers as an Independent,” said Jaiswal. According to him,he has performed well as Independent candidate in the past elections and thus,there was nothing new in his decision to join the race. He is also hopeful of bagging votes of BSP cadres.

In an interesting development,sources in the SP said the party is in the process to announce its support to Rajmati. “We have no option but to support her. She would be in position to polarise Nishad voters who are angry with the BSP,” a SP leader. However,SP spokesperson Rajendra Choudhari refuted any such decision made by the party. “A meeting of the state parliamentary board would be held on April 6 to discuss the matter’’,Choudhari said.

The trouble with the BSP is that Jamuna Nishad was the party’s face in the Nishad community in eastern UP. The community has a good presence in several Assembly seats like Kaudi Ram,Chauri Chaura and Pipraich,besides Gorakhpur Lok Sabha seat.

BJP sources said that their party too is keen to support Rajmati. “Gorakhpur’s BJP MP Yogi Adityanath is in touch with his party’s state unit to declare support for Rajmati in the by-election,” a source in the BJP said.