LUCKNOW: Consequent to BSP chief Mayawati’s much-publicised resignation from Rajya Sabha and in view of her oft-repeated rhetoric that she was not scared of taking an electoral route to Parliament, the latest buzz doing the rounds in Uttar Pradesh political circles is that she may be fielded as a joint opposition candidate from the Dalit-dominated Phulpur constituency. Presently, it is held by UP deputy CM Keshav Maurya. This is aimed at taking on the might of the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha bypoll.
However, BJP strategists are busy thrashing out a plan to puncture the opposition’s game-plan and keep the seat with it.
The byelection to two Lok Sabha seats is imminent in UP as chief minster Yogi Adityanath— a five-term MP from Gorakhpur and Dy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya—the first-time MP
from Phulpur, have to vacate their respective LS seats, owing to constitutional obligation, after voting for new vice president on August 5.
Both have to take up the membership of either of the two house of state legislature latest by September 18.
However, the BJP has huddled up to find a way out of the emerging situation as the party doesn’t want to see any of the seats going away from its kitty when only one and a half year of the present Lok Sabha is left.
Well aware of Opposition’s game plan, the BJP strategists, meanwhile, are focusing to retain Phulpur seat and let Maurya continue on it as the party won it for the first time in 2014 general elections.
The move will help party quell the alleged differences surfaced between CM Adityanath and Dy CM Maurya in the recent past.
According to the party insiders, the state government is plagued with the emergence of two parallel power centres in UP headed respectively by CM Yogi Adityanath and DY CM Maurya. It may be recalled that Maurya was one of the front runners for the post of UP CM.
Meanwhile, CM Adityanath is said to have raised objections to the working style of Dy CM Maurya with the central leadership in Delhi on Tuesday. In such a scenario, BJP will never want a battle of one-upmanship escalating in UP and jeopardising party’s prospects in 2019 Lok Sabha elelction.
Consequently, to dissipate the brewing rift between Adityanath and Maurya, the party may call the latter to Delhi and elevate him as the Central minister in the next reshuffle which is due shortly.
However, Maurya in Delhi on Wednesday rejected the whole idea saying that there was no substance in those rumours and entire opposition together could not defeat BJP either in Phulpur or Gorakhpur. On the contrary, the BSP ranks at the state level have also ruled out the possibility of Mayawati entering the fray from Phulpur.