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The BJP on Saturday announced 26-year-old Aman Giri as its candidate for the bypoll necessitated in Gola Gokarannath Assembly seat of Lakhimpur Kheri district following the death of his father, Arvind Giri, after a cardiac arrest last month. Aman will be pitted against former MLA Vinay Tiwari, 52, the Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate, in the bypoll slated for November 3.
According to sources in the BJP, the party has fielded Aman in the hope of getting the benefit of the “sympathy factor.” Aman’s father Arvind Giri had a good reputation in the constituency. “Due to his popularity and dedication to serving the people, he [Arvind] was elected for five terms. People have strong sympathy with his family after his death and that will be an advantage for the party in the bypoll,” said a BJP leader in Lakhimpur Kheri, who added that the party decided to not take a chance by fielding a candidate from outside Arvind Giri’s family.
Arvind Giri (65) was elected as MLA in the 2022 Assembly elections and earlier in 2017 elections as a BJP candidate. In the past, he was elected MLA on SP ticket for three terms in 1996, 2002 and 2007 from Haiderabad seat that was later renamed as Gola Gokarannath as part of delimitation. In 2012, he contested on Congress ticket but lost. Later, he joined the BJP.
A law graduate, this bypoll will mark Aman’s political debut. Earlier, he has accompanied his father in political activities and handled election management responsibilities in the 2022 Assembly polls although he was not that active in the BJP, sources in the party said.
In 2012, Vinay Tiwari won from this seat as SP candidate. The SP reposed faith in Tiwari in 2017 and 2022 too, but he lost to Arvind Giri both times.
Sources said that Gola Gokarannath has a mixed population of different castes but Kurmi (OBC) and Muslims are in dominance there.
Speaking to The Indian Express on Saturday, SP candidate Tiwari said, “It is going to be a close contest but I will win. Even as the BJP is trying to get sympathy votes by fielding the son of the MLA who passed away, the SP has several issues against the BJP government to highlight. Also, we are going to expose the BJP in this bypoll by pointing out that the BJP calls SP a “party of one family” and it alleges that the SP promotes nepotism. But by fielding the son of an MLA, the BJP has shown itself up as a party that promotes nepotism in politics.”
October 14 is the last date for filing nomination papers. Polling will be held on November 3 and counting of votes will be done on November 6. There are over 3.96 lakh voters in the constituency. In the 2022 Assembly election, the BJP had got 48.67 per cent of the total polled votes.
