The Bharatiya Janata Party has issued another list of seven candidates for the Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, featuring the hotly contested Ghazipur constituency. In a surprising twist, the party has fielded Paras Nath Rai, making waves across the political landscape.
Following the demise of mafia don Mukhtar Ansari, Ghazipur has been thrust into the limelight. After Mukhtar’s death, Samajwadi Party's president Akhilesh Yadav visited the Ansari residence 'Phatak'. With Paras Nath Rai in the fray, speculations were rife that BJP would counter with a formidable candidate against Afzal Ansari.
Who is Paras Nath Rai?
Considered an ally of Lieutenant Governor of Jammu & Kashmir Manoj Sinha, and associated with the RSS, Paras Nath Rai is a Ghazipur local hailing from the Sikhadi village of Manihari block. He is deeply involved in education and manages the Madan Mohan Malaviya Inter College. A political newcomer, Rai's nomination as BJP's parliamentary candidate has certainly raised eyebrows.
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Who secured tickets in the new list?
Aside from Paras Nath Rai for Ghazipur, BJP has nominated Neeraj Shekhar for Ballia by replacing Virendra Singh Mast, Jayveer Singh Thakur against Dimple in Mainpuri, Vinod Sonkar for Kaushambi, Praveen Patel for Phulpur, and Neeraj Tripathi for Allahabad, cutting Rita Bahuguna's ticket, with BP Saroj for the reserved Machhlishahr seat.
