In this electoral season, political parties seem less inclined to field former Uttar Pradesh royals in the constituencies once under their sway. Notable absentees including Sanjay Singh, a scion of the erstwhile Amethi principality, Princess Ratna Singh of Kalakankar, Kunwar Akshay Pratap Singh 'Gopal Ji' of Jamo (Amethi), and Begum Noor Bano of Rampur, as well as former MLA Aridaman Singh of the Bhadawar (Agra) royal family and Nawab Kazim Ali, Noor Bano's son, seem to be noticeably inactive in politics.
Social activist and political analyst Kaushal Kumar Shah opined that after the merger of their realms, many former monarchs stepped into politics. However, in the current elections, some find themselves without the chance to compete as their fortresses (influence areas) lose their luster. Ex-Central Minister Sanjay Singh, who switched from Congress to BJP, is surprisingly not in the election fray. An associate stated, 'We hoped Maharaj (Sanjay Singh) would be BJP's candidate from Sultanpur, but Menaka Gandhi has been re-nominated there.'
No Election Ticket for Amethi's Descendant Sanjay Singh
Sanjay Singh, a former Rajya Sabha member, won the Amethi seat on a BJP ticket in 1998 and as a Congress candidate from Sultanpur in 2009. He lost the Lok Sabha elections to Menaka Gandhi in Sultanpur in 2019. Prospects of Ratna Singh contesting from Pratapgarh as a BJP candidate have faded as the party fields incumbent MP Sangam Lal Gupta. Ratna Singh has represented Pratapgarh in the Lok Sabha as a Congress MP in 1996, 1999, and 2009 before switching to the BJP in 2019.
Waning Political Clout for the Royals of Rampur and Pratapgarh
Kunwar Akshay Pratap Singh, aka 'Gopal Ji', won the Lok Sabha election from Pratapgarh on an SP ticket in 2004. In 2019, as a candidate of the Jansatta Dal (Democratic), he finished third. There are currently no indications of his contesting this time. In western Uttar Pradesh, former MP and former royal of Rampur, Begum Noor Bano, was considered a contender from the Congress at the age of 84. However, owing to seat-sharing between Congress and SP within the India Block, the Rampur seat went to the SP, which nominated Maulana Mohibullah Nadvi, Imam of Jama Masjid in Parliament Street, Delhi, as its candidate.
No Election Chance for Nawab Haider Ali Khan 'Hamza Mian'
Nawab Kazim Ali, Begum Noor Bano's expelled son from Congress, is also absent from the electoral scene. Additionally, Nawab Haider Ali Khan 'Hamza Mian', Kazim's son and a member of the ally Apna Dal (S), has not been given an opportunity. Nawab Kazim Ali ran for the Rampur seat on a Congress ticket in 2014 but was defeated. Rajiv Tiwari, a political expert of eastern Uttar Pradesh, revealed to PTI-Bhasha that BJP has largely backed its veteran candidates and MPs. Furthermore, with SP receiving more seats in the alliance with Congress, former royals allied with Congress have been unable to secure tickets. As part of the opposition India Block, Congress has been allocated 17 seats in UP, while Trinamool Congress, led by West Bengal's Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, received one seat. The remaining 62 are with the SP.
No Member of the Bhadawar Royal Family Contesting This Election
Aridaman Singh of the Bhadawar royal family was a six-time MLA from the Baah constituency and served as a minister in the state government. He contested the 2009 Lok Sabha election as a BJP candidate but lost. His wife Rani Pakshalika Singh, still an MLA from Baah for BJP, lost the Lok Sabha elections from Fatehpur Sikri in 2014 while with the SP. Descendants of Pratapgarh's Raja Ajit Pratap Singh and Manda's former princely family, including former Prime Minister Vishwanath Pratap Singh, are now inactive in politics. Raja Ajit Pratap Singh won the Lok Sabha election from Pratapgarh in 1962 and 1980 with his son Abhay Pratap Singh winning the seat in 1991. However, his grandson Anil Pratap Singh has not succeeded in his political endeavors despite multiple attempts.
