For the upcoming 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election, the BJP has replaced several candidates with their spouses.
In Amethi, the BJP has declared former MP Sanjay Sinh as its candidate in place of his first wife and sitting MLA Garima Singh. In 2017, the seat witnessed a battle between Ms. Singh and Ameeta Singh, Mr. Sinh’s second wife. The SP’s nominee and then minister Gayatri Prasad Prajapati was considered the main contender but the friendly fight between the SP and the Congress, which had fielded Ms. Ameeta, proved costly for him as the BJP won the seat. Mr. Sinh and Ms. Ameeta quit the Congress after the 2019 Lok Sabha election and joined the BJP.
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Ironically, the SP, too, has fielded a spouse for the seat. Maharaji Prajapati, Mr. Prajapati’s wife, has been nominated after the latter was recently sentenced to life in a rape case.
In Ballia Nagar, the BJP has fielded its state vice-president Daya Shankar Singh, whose wife Swati Singh, a Minister in the Yogi Adityanath-led government, was dropped for the Sarojini Nagar constituency in Lucknow. The seat had proved to be an embarrassment for the party as both husband and wife were vied for it. The BJP eventually declared former joint director of Enforcement Directorate Rajeshwar Singh as its candidate in Sarojini Nagar.
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Mr. Daya Shankar, who has been active in reaching out to rebels in other parties over the past year, had grabbed the headlines in 2016 after he made a misogynist remark against BSP chief Mayawati.
He was expelled by the BJP, which then fielded his wife Ms. Swati from Sarojini Nagar after she was, in turn, targetted by some BSP leaders, protesting the remarks against Ms. Mayawati.
In the Rudhauli seat in Basti, sitting MLA Sanjay Pratap Jaiswal has been replaced by his wife Sangeeta Jaiswal. In a Facebook post, the two-time MLA congratulated the BJP top brass for fielding his wife.
Minister Anand Swarup Shukla who was elected from Ballia Nagar in 2017 has been shifted to Bairia. He replaces Mr. Surendra Singh, who is known for his controversial, anti-Muslim comments.
