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Journalism of Courage
THE SAMAJWADI Party (SP) senior leadership faced strong opposition from the Gonda district unit as they announced 69-year-old advocate Bhagat Ram Mishra as its candidate from Kaiserganj seat on Thursday. The BJP has fielded its sitting MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh’s son, Karan Bhushan.
A group of local leaders approached the top leadership in Lucknow soon after coming to know about Mishra’s candidature. The local leaders raised objections over the party fielding an outsider. However, the issue was resolved after the senior leadership convinced them and asked to support Mishra.
Samajwadi Party declared Bhagat Ram its candidates on Thursday, hours after BJP announced that Karan Bhushan Singh, the youngest son of Kaiserganj MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, would contest election on BJP ticket.
On Friday, both Bhagat Ram and Karan Bhushan Singh filed their nomination papers from the Kaiserganj seat. BSP candidate Narendra Pandey filed his nomination papers on Thursday.
The Kaiserganj seat, with around 17 lakh votes, is dominated by the backward and Brahmin communities. It comprises five assembly seats, including three in Gonda district and two in Bahraich district. In the previous Assembly election, the BJP won four seats, with the Samajwadi Party as the runner-up with a close margin.
The three Assembly seats in Gonda district are Tarabganj, Colonelganj and Katra Bazar – all won by BJP in 2019. In Bahraich district, the Kaiserganj seat was won by Samajwadi Party’s Anand Kumar, and the Payagpur seat was won by BJP’s Subhash Tripathi.
Kaiserganj, set to vote in the fifth phase, will head to the polls on May 20. The deadline for filing nomination papers was May 3.
Bhagat Ram Mishra, a resident of Bahraich district, faced objections when a section of local leaders learned of his selection as the candidate from Bahraich. They objected to choosing a candidate who joined the party only a few years ago instead of selecting from the party cadre. Bhagat Ram Mishra joined the Samajwadi Party in 2022 from the Congress, where he had been for a long period before shifting from the BSP. Bhagat Ram claims that he never been in BJP.
Sources say the angered leaders came down to Lucknow raising objection, but state leaders allegedly convinced them that changing the candidate at the last moment would confuse voters. “We have assured party leadership that despite our objections, we will ensure the victory of the party candidate Bhagat Ram Mishra,” said a Gonda district party leader.
When contacted, SP’s Gonda district chief, Arshad Hussain claimed, “A section of local leaders raised objection after party announced Bhagat Ram its candidate. They went to Lucknow and met the party leadership. The matter has now been resolved and all are working to ensure victory of our candidate Bhagat Ram Mishra.”
Bhagat Ram Mishra contested the 2004 Lok Sabha election on BSP ticket and lost to Samajwadi Party candidate Rubab Sayeda by around 26,000 votes. Bhagat Ram is known for championing the concerns of poor farmers and the marginalised, has been active in politics for a considerable period.
A few months ago, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav visited Bhagat Ram’s house, but Bhagat Ram clarifies that it was a personal visit and unrelated to politics.
Bhagat Ram, a non-practicing lawyer, is the brother of former MP Daddan Mishra, who won the 2014 Lok Sabha election on a BJP ticket. Sources claim that Bhagat Ram does not share a good relationship with Daddan Mishra and avoids talking about him.
When contacted, Bhagat Ram Mishra, who comes from well-off family, said, “I have been working for the downtrodden and farmers for a long time. I raised issue of farmers rights in various courts of the country. This time, after winning the election, I’ll continue my fight for the poor and farmers.”
