The BJP on Thursday set the stage for replacing sitting MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh from Uttar Pradesh's Kaiserganj, nominating his son Karan Bhushan Singh instead as its candidate from the seat for the Lok Sabha election 2024.
The BJP's decision came a few days after a Delhi court rejected Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh's request for an additional investigation into the allegations of sexual harassment that female wrestlers had made against him. The court is likely to pronounce its order on the framing of charges against the MP this month.
After the nomination, Karan said, "I am grateful to the people of Kaiserganj. I extend my gratitude to the BJP for making me a candidate... I will file my nomination tomorrow," ANI reported.
The fact that the ticket remains in Singh's family, however, demonstrates the prominence of the Thakur leader and six-time MP in the area.
On his son getting an election ticket from Kaiserganj, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh said, "I thank the party for this. Nomination will be filed tomorrow."
Karan is the president of the Uttar Pradesh Wrestling Association. He has also been a national-level shooter and holds a business management degree from an Australian university. His elder brother Prateek Bhushan Singh is an MLA.
Raebareli Pick
Among other candidates named on Thursday, the BJP announced Dinesh Pratap Singh as its nominee from Raebareli, a stronghold of the Gandhi family that has been won five times in a row by former Congress president Sonia Gandhi. She is currently a member of the Rajya Sabha, and the Congress has not yet revealed its nominee for the high-stakes seat.
After the announcement of his candidature, Dinesh Pratap said, “I would like to thank PM Modi, Amit Shah, J.P. Nadda and the people... for their support….I was not born into the Gandhi family and know hard work… not born with a silver spoon. Nakli gandhi ki vidai hogi (fake Gandhi will be given a farewell)… Whoever will come here from the Congress will lose… I have fought against Sonia also, PG (Priyanka Gandhi) and RG (Rahul Gandhi) are not important to me,” News 18 quoted him as saying.
In 2019, Pratap was defeated by Sonia by a margin of over 1.5 lakh votes.