LUCKNOW: With ruling BJP yet to announce its candidate for Gorakhpur, the religio-political nerve centre of eastern UP and also stronghold of CM Yogi Adityanath is witnessing a silent upheaval in the electoral landscape of 2019.
The Nishad party, which ended the Yogi Adityanath’s unchallenged two-decade reign over Gorakhpur in 2018 bypoll, created a flutter yet again by not only snapping off ties with SP-BSP alliance but also by meeting the UP CM on late Friday evening.
The party though claimed that it was free to take decision and was exploring options. Named as Nirbal Indian Shoshit Hamara Aam Dal, Nishad party came into being in 2016. Notably, the party chief’s son Praveen had breached Yogi’s fort by contesting 2018 bypoll on SP ticket from Gorakhpur defeating BJP’s Upendra Shukla with a margin of around 60, 000 votes.
While political pundits are claiming it to be a masterstroke of the saffron party to avenge the bypoll drubbing, Samajwadi Party declared Ram Bhual Nishadas its candidate from Gorakhpur on Saturday. As per the sources, Dr Sanjay Nishad, president of Nishad Party was upset with delay on the part of the SP leadership in announcing candidates for Gorakhpur and adjoining Mahrajganj.
Moreover, he was allegedly not comfortable in fighting election on Samajwadi Party symbol as Gorakhpur seat had fallen in SP kitty in seat distribution. The move has come as a jolt to SP’s Gorakhpur plans as Nishad community makes a formidable 15 per cent (3.5 lakh) chunk of electoral population in Gorakhpur. Moreover, the community has an acknowledgeable presence in Gorakhpur and adjoining districts.
However, the SP candidate Ram Bhual also belongs to Nishadcommunity and he has been an MLA from Gorakhpur rural twice. Ram Bhual has also been minister, fisheries during Mayawati regime in 2007. However, BJP has been holding a sway over Gorakhpur since 1991.