Agra: In a surprise move, BSP changed its candidate from Fatehpur Sikri seat by fielding former MLA from Debai seat of Bulandshahr district Shribhagwan Sharma alias Guddu Pandit in place of Delhi-based businessmen Rajveer Singh on Tuesday, the last day of nomination process for second phase of Lok Sabha elections. Singh who was earlier declared BSP candidate from Fatehpur Sikri seat had filed his nomination papers on Monday. However, he had not submitted ‘B form’ (official proof that a particular candidate is put up by a political party), sources said.Introducing himself as a “social worker”, the 44-year-old Guddu told TOI, “Change of candidate at the last moment is not my subject. My leader, BSP supremo Mayawati, directed me to go and file nomination for the Fatehpur Sikri Lok Sabha elections. I rushed to Agra to file the papers. Now, my target is to win the elections.”A known historysheeter of western UP, Guddu has been to jail several times. He is facing numerous cases, including those pertaining to extortion, criminal intimation, voluntarily causing hurt and others.Guddu, who started his career as a small-time businessmen, came into political prominence in UP when he contested on a BSP ticket and defeated Rajveer Singh, son of former chief minister of UP Kalyan Singh, from Debai constituency in 2007 assemly polls. He won the assembly seat again in 2012 on a SP ticket.Senior BSP leaders, including former Rajya Sabha MP Munquad Ali along with former member of the legislative council (MLC) Sunil Chittor, and a large number of district unit party workers accompanied Guddu when he went to the district collectorate to file his nomination. Party workers raised slogans, “Guddu Pandit zindabad”. Earlier, the workers had staged a protest claiming that Rajveer Singh was a weak candidate.Munquad Ali said, “Following a feedback of party workers and considering key political parameters, a decision has been taken by the top leadership that Shribhagwan Sharma will represent the BSP-SP-RLD coalition on Fatehpur Sikri seat. Sharma is an efficient social worker and enjoys a special bonding with common people, especially the weaker sections. He deserves to reach Parliament.”In 2017, ahead of the legislative assembly election, Guddu had tried to join BJP on condition that a party ticket be given to him to contest from Debai seat. But senior party leaders did not approve his candidature. He had blamed Kalyan Singh for posing hurdles in his political career as he had defeated his son. Later, he contested the assembly election on a RLD ticket but failed to get mandate.According to sources, nomination of Guddu Pandit has made contest on Fatehpur Sikri seat triangular. Besides BSP’s Dalit vote bank, the new candidate is likely to cut votes of both BJP candidate Rajkumar Chahar and Congress candidate Raj Babbar. BSP has changed the candidate mainly to attract Brahmin voters in a Jat-dominated constituency.

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