LUCKNOW: Former Uttar Pradesh minister Swami Prasad Maurya, who left BJP for SP with two other ministers and around half-a-dozen BJP MLAs last month, has been given a ticket from Fazilnagar instead of his stronghold of Padrauna in Kushinagar. Fazilnagar adjoins Padrauna, which Maurya has been representing.
After joining BJP, defecting from BSP in 2016, Maurya had contested from Padrauna and is the sitting MLA from the seat. In Fazilnagar, Maurya will be facing BJP’s Surendra Kushwaha, son of incumbent MLA Ganga Singh Kushwaha.
Since Maurya left BJP, there were speculations that the ruling party would field a strong candidate to corner him. In the mean time, senior Congress leader and the scion of Kushinagar royal family, RPN Singh joined BJP. Singh won from Padrauna in 1996, 2002 and 2007.
Political circles were abuzz with speculation that RPN will contest from Padrauna on a BJP ticket. In the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, he had defeated Maurya from the Kushinagar seat. Political rivalry between Maurya and Singh has been going on for a long time.
Sources said Maurya wanted to shift from Padrauna to Fazilnagar sensing anti-incumbency against him. Maurya said Fazilnagar would be a challenge and the stronger the challenge was, the better he felt. “My workers accept my popularity everywhere. I welcome whatever has been decided for me by the party’s national president,” said Maurya. He refused to acknowledge the Singh factor. “There will perhaps be no candidate weaker than RPN Singh if BJP fields him.”