UP Assembly bypoll: In Deoria, parties line up Tripathis

The seat was earlier held by BJP MLA Janmeyjai Singh, 75. His death in August this year led to the announcement of the bypoll in the seat. While Janmeyjai Singh’s son was also a contender for the BJP ticket, the party chose to field a Brahmin, a local party worker Satya Prakash Mani Tripathi, from the seat.

Earlier in the day, Samajwadi Party announced that it would field five-time MLA from Kasia in adjoining Kushinagar district and former minister Brahma Shanker Tripathi as its candidate from Deoria Sadar.

Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party has given ticket to Abhay Tripathi to contest from Deoria. The Congress, on the other hand, has also chosen a Brahmin candidate – Mukund Bhaskar Mani Tripathi.

According to sources in the BJP, Deoria Sadar Assembly constituency has over 50,000 Brahmin voters, who have traditionally been voting for their party.

The move by the ruling BJP to field a Tripathi comes in the wake of “anti-Brahim” accusations being faced by the Yogi-Adityanath-led government in the state. Party sources said that after much discussion, it was decided to not only choose a Brahmin face but a “Mani Tripathi”, who are said to have an influence in the region in Deoria and neighbouring Kushinagar.

“The party has chosen a grassroots worker, who is intellectual and a known face in the area. He is a lecturer at a college in Deoria and hails from a known and respected family in the region. Moreover, he is an old party worker with whom all would associate,” said a senior BJP leader over selection of Satya Prakash Mani.

“While Brahma Shanker Tripathi of the Samajwadi Party may be a known face in Lucknow, but he hails from Kushinagar,” the BJP leader added.

Of the seven seats going to bypoll, six were held by the BJP. The counting of votes will take place on November 10.