Summary:
VARANASI: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded former mayor of Varanasi Kaushalendra Singh Patel from Phulpur parliamentary seat for the bypoll scheduled to be held on March 11. The BJP replaced him in 2012 mayoral election and fielded Ram Gopal Mohaley. His name was announced on Monday, just a day before the last date of nomination filing.“I am deeply grateful to the leadership of BJP for showing their faith in me and fielding me in this prestigious election. Following a six-year-long political hibernation at local level, Kaushlendra, who was elected as mayor of Varanasi in 2006, made his presence felt in national politics with the announcement of his name for Phulpur bypoll.In his political career 44-year-old Kaushlendra, an alumnus of Banaras Hindu University (BHU), was elected Varanasi’s mayor at the age of 32 in 2006. I would like to convey my gratitude to all senior leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi , president Amit Shah, UP president Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey, chief minister Aditya Nath Yogi, Sunil Banal and others for this elevation of a low level party worker like me,” Kaushlendra told TOI before leaving for Allahabad on Monday.He was nowhere in the race of party ticket for the byelection..