congress: UP Elections 2022: Aditi Singh challenges Congress legacy in Raebareli Sadar

The Raebareli Sadar seat is prone to see a triangular contest between SP, BJP and Congress. The Congress bastion identified for native strongman and five-time legislator Akhilesh Singh could possibly be breached as his daughter Aditi Singh, who was a Congress MLA, is the BJP candidate.

Singh has been making an attempt to assert her father’s legacy whereas preventing her first election after his dying and calling herself a ‘fatherless daughter’. Manish Singh Chauhan will attempt to protect the Congress legacy. The parliamentary constituency of Raebareli represented by Congress president Sonia Gandhi is the one LS seat within the state for the occasion. Congress has gained the meeting seat 10 instances and Janata Dal twice. BJP and SP have by no means gained the seat.

Muscleman Akhilesh Singh, feared and revered within the space, gained three elections on a Congress image and in 2007 and 2012 as unbiased and Peace Social gathering candidate, respectively. Although he moved away from the Congress, he by no means joined the BJP. His daughter, nonetheless, joined BJP final yr, after she was elected as a Congress MLA. In 2017, the US-educated Aditi Singh was fielded by Congress normal secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Congress gained the seat by a file 1,28,319 votes, in alliance with SP.

Chauhan, the Congress decide in opposition to Singh has a ‘sober’ repute. His uncle RP Singh had contested in opposition to Akhilesh Singh as soon as. SP, alternatively has fielded RP Yadav, a powerful candidate. With the constituency dominated by Brahmins, Kayasths and Muslims, adopted by Yadavs and OBCs, Brahmin and Muslim votes might be decisive. BJP and Congress are vying for Brahmin votes whereas a bit of Muslims might vote for Congress, which may damage the SP, which banks on the Muslim-Yadav equation. In rural areas, it’s a battle between SP and BJP and Congress will not be within the reckoning.

Akhilesh Singh was unpopular amongst some Brahmins resulting from his strongman repute. Nevertheless, along with his daughter’s candidature, they cosied as much as her. A big part might ‘comply with her’ to BJP. “I’ve been an out and out Congressman. For the primary time, I might be voting for BJP due to the candidate,” mentioned Sarvesh Bajpayee, proprietor of a flower store. Chauhan was dismissed by some ardent Congress supporters as ‘weak and never widespread’. Congress supporters might vote for Singh, however nonetheless select Congress in 2024, particularly if Vadra contests.

Some staunch Congressmen are miffed with Singh’s ‘problem of Vadra’. “It’s possible you’ll be a giant chief, however how applicable is it to problem and insult somebody who ushered you in? Priyanka isn’t any rookie,” mentioned 76-year-old Mohammad Tahir, who runs a store throughout the Congress headquarters at Tilak Bhawan, pledging to vote for the Congress. Nevertheless, Singh might win votes of a giant part of Muslim shopkeepers, in any other case cautious of BJP. She had helped them retain their outlets as an MLA. “Aditi Singh ko vidhayak banana hai, aur Akhilesh Yadav ko mukhyamantri,” mentioned Nizamuddin, a road garment vendor.