UP Polls 2017: Is Allahabad going to give BJP the CM face?

Sanjay Bhatnagar

Allahabad: A recent hearsay in political battlefield indicates that the electorate of Allahabad west constituency are going to elect the next Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh if Bharatiya Janata Party comes to power.

It is being rumoured that Siddharth Nath Singh, BJP candidate from the constituency has been handpicked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and will be in the run for the Chief Ministerial post from the Party.

Singh is the grandson of former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri and the nephew of Chaudhary Nanihal Singh, three times Member of legislative assembly. He is also the senior party leader and national spokesperson of the BJP.

The is a buzz in BJP circle that being favourite of PM Modi and BJP National President Amit Shah, Singh will be considered for the post if the saffron party wins the assembly elections.

A party activist Aniket Mishra has stated we have no official information about this but it is being speculated within the party. He further said, "There has been a tittle-tattle inside the BJP about Siddharth Nath Singh leading the UP government if we will win in the assembly polls. We have been campaigning in his support and this news has brought positive energy among the workers. If Siddharth ji becomes the CM it will also be beneficial for the constituency."

It is a known fact that Allahabad has an immense importance in Indian politics. The city is also known as the 'city of Prime Ministers'. Out of the 15 PMs of India, seven have been elected from the city. Since independence Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Gulzarilal Nanda, Vishwanath Pratap Singh and Chandra Shekhar were either born there, or alumni of Allahabad University or were elected from an Allahabad constituency.

What Siddharth Singh said:

• Siddarth Nath Singh, however, talking to Newstrack.com tried to dismiss the story stating that he has no idea about such speculations. He said that he has been directed by the party leadership to contest the elections from the constituency.
• "The party leadership has directed me to contest UP polls from Allahabad West constituency and I have prepared myself to do so," Singh said.
• The BJP senior leader also said that his election plan will focus of development. "My election plan remains simple. It is development versus Goondaism of Samajwadi Party. The SP has looted the state for five years and had spread hatred among the people through casteism and communal politics," he further said and also stated that he feels sorry for the Muslim community which, till date, stood divided among the SP and the BSP.
• When asked about his opponents, Pooja Pal from BSP and Richa Singh from SP-Congress alliance, the leader said, "It does not matter who is contesting against me. I will follow the development agenda of PM Modi and will stand by it."

According to the political sources, there is a strong competition between the BSP candidate Pooja Pal and Siddhartha Nath Singh in the constituency. Pal has won most times from here and Singh has a huge following in the city.

Allahabad will go to polls in fourth phase of the assembly elections on February 23 and the results will be declared on March 11.