Lucknow, 20 April (HS). Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has made the election contest interesting by making former BJP MLA Mahendra Singh Yadav its candidate from Sitapur Lok Sabha. Current MP from Sitapur is Rajesh Verma from BJP and Rakesh Rathore from SP-Congress alliance is in the fray.
With Mahendra Singh Yadav contesting from BSP, there are chances of a triangular contest in Sitapur. Due to BSP's vote bank and Yadav voters, he can give a tough competition to BJP. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, BJP candidate Rajesh Verma won by getting 514528 votes. Nakul Dubey from BSP stood second by getting 413695 votes.
Mahendra Singh Yadav was elected MLA from Bisvan in the 2017 assembly elections on BJP ticket. At the last moment of 2022 assembly elections, one of his videos went viral on social media, due to which BJP did not give him the ticket.
Mahendra Singh Yadav blames Sitapur MP Rajesh Verma for cutting the ticket. However, after the ticket was cut, Mahendra Yadav went from village to village and sought votes for BJP candidate Nirmal Verma in the assembly elections.
When the Lok Sabha elections came closer, Mahendra Yadav became active in the Lok Sabha and started touring the entire Lok Sabha constituency and demanded a ticket from the party leadership. BJP placed its bet on sitting MP Rajesh Verma for the third time. Disgusted with this, Mahendra Singh Yadav changed sides, left BJP and joined BSP and BSP also declared him as its candidate from Sitapur.
Senior journalist Mahesh Sharma said that Mahendra Yadav is friendly. He has been an MLA from Biswan Assembly. Biswan assembly seat is Yadav dominated. Therefore he can perform well there. At present, by taking ticket from BSP, he has made the contest triangular.