Gorakhpur MP joins BJP, may contest from East UP

New Delhi: In a major boost to the BJP, Gorakhpur’s sitting MP Praveen Kumar Nishad, whose victory in the 2018 by-polls had stunned the saffron party leadership, on Thursday joined the NDA fold and could be fielded from Bhadoi, whose sitting MP, Virendra Singh “Mast” has been shifted to Ballia. Mr Nishad of the Nishad Party, had contested the 2017 bypolls on a Samjawadi Party’s ticket and had defeated BJP’s Upendra Dutt Shukla and for the first time in more than three decades, the prestigious Gorakhpur seat was won by a non-saffron party leader. Gorakhpur was represented by Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath for two decades untill the BJP won Uttar Pradesh in 2017.

The bypoll results of Gorakhpur, Phulpur parliamentary seats and Kairana assembly seat, had severely upset the BJP and were the first time that arch-rivals SP and BSP had joined hands. Along with Mr Nishad, senior Congress leader from Telangana and former MP Ananda Bhaskar Rapolu also joined the BJP on Thursday.

Senior BJP leader and Union minister J P Nadda said both the leaders wield considerable influence in their regions, and that they had joined the party due to their faith in the policies of the Narendra Modi government.

Mr Rapolu was associated with the Telangana movement and had quit the Congress last month. Mr Nishad’s father Sanjay Nishad is the head of Nishad Party. the BJP and the Nishad Party also announced a tie-up for the general elections and it remains to be seen if the latter would be given any seat as Mr Praveen Kumar Nishad will contest on the saffron party’s symbol. Sources said he may be fielded from Bhadohi seat.

According to Mr Praveen Kumar Nishad differences had grown as the Samajwadi Party wanted him to contest again on its symbol while he wanted to fight as a Nishad Party candidate. The BJP has also not yet announced its candidate for Gorakhpur.