Breaking a political trend, the Samajwadi Party has fielded a candidate in Kunda seat of Pratapgarh against Thakur strongman Raghuraj Pratap Singh, alias Raja Bhaiya, after two decades. The SP is contesting this seat after the relationship between Mr. Singh, a six-time Independent MLA, and SP president Akhilesh Yadav went downhill after the 2017 election.
In 2018, as he prepared to take on the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha election, Mr. Yadav had been left red–faced after Mr. Singh, till then considered a political ally, allegedly cross-voted in favour of the BJP in the Rajya Sabha poll. An outraged Mr. Yadav, under whose government Mr. Singh had enjoyed ministerial positions, called the MLA a “liar” and “a dhamkidar” (intimidator) and said the SP had shut its doors on him forever.
