Purvanchal turns a testing ground for political parties with launch of 20 new faces

Lok Sabha Election 2024: The SP's new candidates include former state minister Virendra Singh from the Chandauli parliamentary seat.

Purvanchal, or eastern Uttar Pradesh, has long been a crucible of political thought, often serving as the launching ground for new political talents. This election season is no exception, with approximately 20 first-time candidates contesting the Lok Sabha elections in Purvanchal.

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is at the forefront of this trend, promoting fresh faces on 11 out of the 13 seats in the region.

The BSP's strategy involves careful consideration of caste dynamics in their candidate selection, aiming to maximise their appeal across different voter groups. For instance, in Azamgarh, the BSP has fielded Bhim Rajbhar, targeting the significant Rajbhar voter base. The BJP, in alliance with the SBSP, may face a split in these votes with Rajbhar in the fray. Other BSP candidates include Umesh Singh in Ghazipur, Satyendra Maurya in Chandauli, and young Manish Tripathi in Mirzapur.

Further, the BSP has selected Dr Indu Chaudhary from Banaras Hindu University for the Lalganj seat and advocate Dhaneshwar Gautam for the Robertsganj seat. Both candidates are contesting their first elections.

In Ballia, Lallan Yadav will lock horns with BJP's Neeraj Shekhar, son of former Prime Minister Chandrashkhar. The BSP has also fielded Irfan Ahmad in Bhadohi and former IAS officer Kripashankar Saroj in Machhlishahr, both first-time candidates. Notably, in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's constituency of Varanasi, the BSP has fielded Athar Jamal Lari.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has nominated newcomers for four of the 13 seats, while the Samajwadi Party (SP) has fielded three first-time candidates.

Among the notable contests, the BJP has nominated Parasnath Rai, a teacher, to run against SP's Afzal Ansari in the hotly contested Ghazipur parliamentary seat. Rai is considered close to Lt Governor of J&K Manoj Sinha. In fact, Sinha had won elections from here twice but in 2019 he lost to Afzal Ansari when he contested on a BSP ticket.

In Jaunpur, a Rajput-dominated seat, the BJP has fielded Kripashankar Singh, a former President of the Maharashtra Congress and Minister of State for Home in Maharashtra, marking his debut in the Lok Sabha elections. Additionally, Dr. Vinod Bind, a professional doctor originally from Chandauli, will contest the Bhadohi seat for the BJP. The Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), an ally of the BJP, has nominated Arvind Rajbhar from the Ghosi seat, another first-time candidate.

The SP's new candidates include former state minister Virendra Singh from the Chandauli parliamentary seat. Singh, originally from Varanasi, will also be contesting for the first time. In the reserved Machhlishahr seat, the SP has given a chance to Priya Saroj, an advocate and the daughter of senior SP leader Toofani Saroj.

The INDIA bloc has fielded Ujjawal Raman Singh from Allahabad. Though Singh had won two assembly elections for the Samajwadi Party from Karchhana, this is his first Lok Sabha election. He will face another new entrant in politics Neeraj Tripathi, son of Speaker Assembly and Governor Kesari Nath Tripathi.

“With its bold move to field new faces, all the political parties aim to bring fresh perspectives and energy to the Lok Sabha, challenging the established order and potentially reshaping the political landscape in Purvanchal,” Rajesh N Bajpee, a political analyst said.