Of all the 80 Lok Sabha seats of Uttar Pradesh, two, Kaiserganj and Amethi, have a certain kind of invidiousness which the rest of the state detests or delights depending on the degree of a patronising attention-seeker.
On the edge of some wildlife sanctuaries of repute, Kaiserganj offers a truly wild side to its political existence: No one remembers when it turned into Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh’s saffron chevron from Samjawadi stalwart Beni Prasad Verma’s socialist stripes.
So much so that the former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief has now grappled his way successfully to let his 33-year-old son rule Kaiserganj by getting him BJP nomination.
Move over to redoubtable Amethi. The amazing fiefdom of Congress’ first family. Kishori Lal Sharma, who?
The 63-year-old loyalist is originally from Punjab’s Ludhiana and has been with the family for 40-odd years to challenge the ‘aggression’ and ‘vanity’ of the sitting BJP MP. Sharma, sources say, is excellent in his management skills, and has been representing Sonia Gandhi first in Amethi and then in Rae Bareli.
Curiously, Kaiserganj and Amethi are now melded in a battle of legacies — on the one hand young Karan Bhushan Sharan Singh is out to retain his father’s seat, and on the other an experienced caregiver is brought to re-assert the power of the Gandhis.
Brij Bhushan, despite being snubbed by the party following his deeds as WFI chairman, has a tinge of condescension in his voice while claiming that Karan’s ticket was apparent, owing to the clout he enjoys; it is ‘God’s gift’ to him and his clan.
Karan is not the only inheritor of political legacy of Brijbhushan, who has been a six-time MP from Kaiserganj, Balrampur and Gonda. His elder son Prateek Bhushan is BJP MLA from Gonda.
However, the younger scion has an added attribute inherited from father. Besides managing his fathers’ political affairs in Kaiserganj, he is also an amateur wrestler and is helming the UP Wrestling Federation since February this year. A law graduate, he has an Australian diploma in business management. An ace shooter of national repute, Karan is the chairman of a cooperative bank at Nawabganj in Gonda. A father of two children, he has no criminal history, with wife Neha managing the educational institutions owned by the family.
In Amethi, Sharma is humbled by the party gesture. He is believed to be well aware of the political temperament of Amethi and Rae Bareli. He had his association with the twin Gandhi bastions since 1983 when late Rajiv Gandhi took him along to Amethi after the death of Sanjay Gandhi, as part of Rajiv’s initiative to set up a youth brigade to monitor development works in his constituency.
Rajiv won from Amethi four times — 1981, 1984, 1989 and posthumously in 1991. Sharma managed all his elections since 1984.
Sharma’s ties with the Gandhis grew stronger after Rajiv passed away. He continued to nurture Rae Bareli and Amethi on their behalf besides managing elections of the likes of Sheila Kaul and Captain Satish Sharma.
Beyond Rae Bareli and Amethi, Sharma was once appointed the party’s Bihar in-charge. He has been in the All India Congress Committee and Punjab Congress Committee.
It is after 25 years that no Gandhi is in the fray from Amethi. The reason for Sharma replacing Rahul Gandhi in Amethi seems to be an in-house survey of the Congress indicating smooth sailing for Rahul in Rae Bareli and only 50 per cent chances of victory in Amethi.
Sharma was blamed largely for the 2019 Amethi loss, but Sonia and Priyanka came to his rescue. Holding the party baton, the only task of KL Sharma is conducting poll rallies by the Gandhis — he has been promised three — as he believes that their presence would make all the difference for him in Amethi.