LUCKNOW: BJP 9th victorious candidate Anil Agarwal, A wealthy businessman and ownerof a chain of professional institutes in Ghaziabad and Meerut, when came down to Lucknow to file nomination, no BJP bigwig accompanied him on March 12. But as soon as he submitted his papers, BJP state chief Mahendra Nath pandey walkied into the nomination hall of Assembly and declared him as nith candidate of the party.
BJP move came as after announcing eight candidates and still having 28 votes to spare. Agarwal was thus picked up by the party as its ninth candidate who would take on the SP, Congress and RLD backed
BSP nominee BR Ambedkar. Agarwal was quick to say that he expected support from all sides including from the opposition parties.
Agarwal has a RSS background and belongs to a powerful political family of the state -- he is married to the grand-daughter of the former UP CM Babu Banarasi Das. He had contested the legislative council election from the teachers’ constituency but lost with a narrow margin. His win, political experts said, could help BJP in consolidating the trader community which got antagonized after Centre effected demonetisation brought in a new GST regime.
Agarwal emergence as a BJP MP could also mark BJP strategy to consolidate its position in politically crucial west UP region even as it gears to take on a joint opposition in 2019 Lok Sabha elections.