Agra: BJP state spokesperson Jugal Kishore has accused his party leadership of giving ticket to ‘non-dalits’ on seats reserved for scheduled caste. A former Rajya Sabha member of BSP, who joined BJP before assembly elections in 2016, Jugal Kishore had alleged that candidates for Agra and Bahraich seats had submitted fake caste documents to contest from these constituencies.Kishore told TOI said that 17 constituencies in Uttar Pradesh are reserved for scheduled castes including Agra, Bahraich and Machhlishahr and the party has given tickets to non-SC candidates on some of these seats. He said he has already spoken to senior BJP leaders regarding this. “It is not a good sign for candidates belonging to scheduled castes,” he said, dubbing it as an attempt to deprive the SC community of its rights.On being asked that even he was an aspirant for a ticket from Bahraich, Kishore said that he was not interested in contesting the elections, but he would fight for the rights of his community. He said that he would also put this matter in the party’s forum.The party has given ticket to cabinet minister SP Singh Baghel from Agra reserved seat. “Baghel had headed the BJP National OBC Morcha till November 2016 and had given a fake certificate for contesting election from reserved seat,” Kishore alleged.When contacted Baghel said that his nomination for Lok Sabha elections has been approved on Wednesday after scrutiny. He said these were all allegations and he would not speak on this issue as the chapter had been closed.Similarly, Kishore claimed that Akshaywar Lal Gaur, who has been given ticket for Bahraich reserved seat, did not belong to SC community as per the UP’s list. He said a case regarding Gaur’s fake caste certificate is pending before the high court.Denying allegations, Gaur told TOI that Kishore was not aware of how many castes come under SC category. He said, he had contested election nine times. In 2009, he unsuccessfully contested Lok Sabha polls from the same constituency.Kishore said that sitting MP from Machhlishahar (reserved seat), Ram Charit Nishad, is also a non-Dalit and had given a fake certificate of being a scheduled caste. He said that his name was also being considered for the same constituency.BJP spokesperson Chandra Mohan, however, denied these allegations and said that the party had given tickets on the basis of documentary evidence. He said, “tickets have been given on the basis of castes which are included under Dalit category”.

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