RAE BARELI : For Dinesh Pratap Singh, the former Congress member poised to challenge Rahul Gandhi as BJP candidate in Rae Bareli in the election, “time is an ever-changing entity.” Confident of his victory over the Gandhi scion in his stronghold, Singh, who comes from a well-known political family in Rae Bareli, believes that the times when Rae Bareli was considered a Congress bastion are long gone. “Now, time has evolved, and so has Rae Bareli. It has transformed into a citadel of PM Modi,” he said.
Currently, an MLC and minister in the Yogi cabinet, Singh joined the saffron brigade from Congress in September 2018, driven by political ambitions he felt were unachievable as long as he remained overshadowed by the Gandhis in Rae Bareli. Before his defection, Singh and his four younger brothers were close associates and campaign managers for the Gandhis in the region.
Singh’s political journey took a significant turn when he was selected by the BJP to run in the 16th Lok Sabha polls against former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi in 2019. Despite his defeat, Singh took solace in securing 38% of the votes and reducing Sonia Gandhi’s victory margin from 3.52 lakh votes in 2014 to 1.67 lakh.
“The fact that Congress lacks grassroots leadership in Rae Bareli means it won’t be an easy battle for them here,” Singh states responsibly. “Although Sonia Gandhiji may be the MP of Rae Bareli constitutionally, she could not have defeated me in 2019 without the support of four parties—SP, BSP, AAP, and Congress. Had she lacked the backing of even one of those parties, I would have secured the victory.”
Singh criticises the Gandhi family for their absence in Rae Bareli, claiming that he has dedicatedly served the people of the constituency. “During testing times, the Congress MP was never present among the people. Yet, when Rahul came for the nomination, he could endure the scorching sun for hours. This is why Rae Bareli should elect its own son instead of relying on outsiders,” he argues, citing the locals’ growing realization that they need a representative from their own ranks.
Highlighting the infrastructural developments and roads built in Rae Bareli over the last five years, Singh dismisses the Congress strategy of potentially fielding Rahul Gandhi from Rae Bareli. “I see the ‘lotus’ blooming in Rae Bareli. Why should I waste my time evaluating Congress strategies? I am not interested in debating whether Rahul Gandhi or Priyanka Gandhi Vadra should contest from Rae Bareli.”
Amid alleged infighting in the BJP regarding his candidacy, Singh claims full support from the sitting party MLA of Rae Bareli. “Our cadre and leadership are strong enough to decisively defeat Rahul Gandhi in Rae Bareli, unlike Congress, which had to import leaders from other states to make Rahul Gandhi’s nomination a mere photo op.”
“There is no challenge for me in the 2024 election. I am quite confident of a win as Congress does not have a presence in even a single assembly constituency in Rae Bareli, despite all the efforts of AICC General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi in 2022,” he states confidently.
Accusing the Gandhis of erasing the glorious history and religious significance of Rae Bareli while marking it as their stronghold, Singh declares that his first endeavour will be to restore the region’s illustrious past for future generations.
‘Our cadre is strong’
Amid alleged infighting in the BJP regarding his candidacy, Singh claims full support from the sitting party MLA of Rae Bareli. “Our cadre is strong enough to decisively defeat Rahul Gandhi in Rae Bareli, unlike Congress, which had to import leaders to make Rahul Gandhi’s nomination a mere photo op.”