The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) declared Dinesh Pratap Singh as its candidate from the Raebareli seat for the Lok Sabha Election 2024. Raebareli us a Gandhi family bastion which has been won by former Congress president Sonia Gandhi for five consecutive times. The party also fielded Karan Bhushan Singh from Kaiserganj in Uttar Pradesh. Karan’s father, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, is the sitting Kaiserganj MP.
ALSO READ: ‘Confusion shows…’: Amit Shah as suspense over Gandhis contesting from Amethi, Raebareli escalates
Who is Dinesh Pratap Singh?
Dinesh Pratap Singh is a Uttar Pradesh Minister of State (Independent Charge) and a BJP leader. He had earlier fought the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Raebareli constituency, where he was defeated by Congress leader Sonia Gandhi. He was part of the Congress earlier.
Singh became a member of the Legislative Council from the Congress for the first time in 2010 and for the second time in 2016. He quit the Congress and joined the BJP in 2018.
The BJP then fielded him as its candidate in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections against Sonia Gandhi from Raebareli. In 2022, Dinesh Pratap Singh became an MLC for the third time by winning with record votes on the BJP’s ticket, Hindustan reported.
After being nominated as the BJP’s Raebareli candidate, Dinesh Pratap Singh said, “…I assure the country that farewell of ‘nakli’ Gandhis from Raebareli is certain. It is certain that BJP’s ‘lotus’ will bloom, and the Congress will lose.”
“I have even fought against four-time MP Sonia Gandhi, so Priyanka Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi are not important to me. Whichever Gandhi comes to Rae Bareli, they will lose,” Dinesh Pratap Singh added.
Who will be Congress’ candidate from Raebareli this time?
Raebareli has been the Congress’ stronghold. Congress veteran Sonia Gandhi had been an MP from Raebareli since 2004. She had announced earlier this year that she’ll be not contest the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections.
Ever since the announcement, speculations have been rife that her daughter Priyanka Gandhi may contest the Raebareli seat. Her posters were also seen in the constituency recently.
Amid the suspense over the Congress’ nominees from Amethi and Raebareli, sources told news agency PTI on Thursday that the party has prepared an alternative plan in case Priyanka Gandhi Vadra does not contest from Raebareli. They said a grandson of former Congress leader and Indira Gandhi’s aunt Sheila Kaul may be fielded from the Congress bastion.
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Published: 02 May 2024, 04:45 PM IST