Murmurs in BJP on Phulpur pick being an outsider

  • | Tuesday | 20th February, 2018

Sources said that Kaushlendra is seen as a loyal BJP worker who is close to Madhya Pradesh BJP organisation secretary Nagendra as well as to Maurya.In fact, Maurya had included him in his team as as party's state secretary when he was UP BJP chief.The responsibility of ensuring Kaushlendra's win in Phulpur bypoll would be on Maurya as he had won the seat by a huge margin of over 3 lakh votes in 2014.It was the first win of a BJP candidate from Phulpur, which had been represented by first prime ministers Jawahar Lal Nehru, Vishwanath Pratap Singh and Kamla Bahuguna.Murmurs of Kaushlendra being an outsider have already started doing the rounds among party workers in Phulpur and the opposition has also begun digging his past record in Varanasi as mayor, said sources. LUCKNOW: BJP 's selection of Kaushlendra Singh Patel , a two-time mayor of Varanasi, as Phulpur candidate left many surprised in the party since he has no association with the constituency as such.The party opted for Kaushlendra since Phulpur is a Patel-dominated constituency and BJP could not get a good Patel leader from the constituency after deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya resigned from Lok Sabha.Besides, all the three ministers from Allahabad region, including Maurya, health minister Siddharthnath Singh and civil aviation minister Nand Gopal 'Nandi' had differences over one or the other issue.According to sources, the party chose to import Kaushlendra, a resident of Varanasi, as candidate since it did not want to let internal differences spill during bypoll with chances of bickering among prominent leaders from Allahabad being high.Sources said that Keshav Prasad Maurya was interested in fielding either his son or wife from Phulpur.Though Maurya had denied nursing any such desires, sources said that his intention was opposed tooth and nail by other senior leaders from Allahabad.

LUCKNOW: BJP 's selection of Kaushlendra Singh Patel , a two-time mayor of Varanasi, as Phulpur candidate left many surprised in the party since he has no association with the constituency as such.The party opted for Kaushlendra since Phulpur is a Patel-dominated constituency and BJP could not get a good Patel leader from the constituency after deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya resigned from Lok Sabha.Besides, all the three ministers from Allahabad region, including Maurya, health minister Siddharthnath Singh and civil aviation minister Nand Gopal 'Nandi' had differences over one or the other issue.According to sources, the party chose to import Kaushlendra, a resident of Varanasi, as candidate since it did not want to let internal differences spill during bypoll with chances of bickering among prominent leaders from Allahabad being high.Sources said that Keshav Prasad Maurya was interested in fielding either his son or wife from Phulpur.Though Maurya had denied nursing any such desires, sources said that his intention was opposed tooth and nail by other senior leaders from Allahabad. Sources said that Kaushlendra is seen as a loyal BJP worker who is close to Madhya Pradesh BJP organisation secretary Nagendra as well as to Maurya.In fact, Maurya had included him in his team as as party's state secretary when he was UP BJP chief.The responsibility of ensuring Kaushlendra's win in Phulpur bypoll would be on Maurya as he had won the seat by a huge margin of over 3 lakh votes in 2014.It was the first win of a BJP candidate from Phulpur, which had been represented by first prime ministers Jawahar Lal Nehru, Vishwanath Pratap Singh and Kamla Bahuguna.Murmurs of Kaushlendra being an outsider have already started doing the rounds among party workers in Phulpur and the opposition has also begun digging his past record in Varanasi as mayor, said sources.

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