BSP minister R K Choudhury joins Cong;could get ticket from Mohanlalganj seat

He is likely to replace Ramashankar Bhargawa, the party’s candidate from Mohanlalganj reserved Parliamentary constituency in Lucknow . Bhargawa, former MP from Mishrikh in Sitapur from Samajwadi Party, too is a defector and had recently joined Congress.

Notably, RK Chowdhary, had contested last time on BSP ticket from the same Mohanlalganj seat but was defeated by BJP candidate Kaushal Kishore by a margin of about 1.45 lakh votes. He got about 3.10 lakh votes in comparison to winner Kaushal Kishore, who got 4.55 lakh votes in 2014.

Now with Kishore once again in the field on BJP ticket and trying to retain the seat, he is likely to face a triangular fight with the Congress as well as candidate of Mahaghatbandhan (alliance of Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party).

Though Chowdhary’s name was not made official so far but sources here said finding the former BSP leader more active in the constituency had already pushed his workers to prepare a ground for him, majority of the local leaders in Congress had asked the high-command to immediately replace Chowdhary with Bhargawa, who seems to be almost out of race and the fight was more evident between Mahaghatbandhan and BJP.

Now with Chowdhary likely to be fielded by Congress, BJP has to face a tough triangular fight.

Sources said some more leaders are on way to join Congress so the Party delayed announcement of tickets for some key constituencies like Varanasi, Allahabad, Gorakhpur, and Lucknow among others.

Sources said while another senior BSP leader, Rakesh Dhar Tripathi is likely to join Congress and will be fielded from Allahabad. Similarly names of Shatrughan Sinha’s wife Poonam is also taken as a joint candidate of Mahaghatbandhan and Congress in Lucknow and she will take mighty Rajnath Singh, trying to retain the seat for the first time in any general election.

Earlier Singh fought battle for two times from Haidergarh Assembly constituency in Barabanki, but it was a by-election.

Sources said beside RK Chowdhary, BJP sitting MP from Barabanki, Priyanka Rawat is also in touch with senior Congress leader and is reportedly interested in fighting election from Mohanlalganj reserved Parliamentary constituency.

Now it is to be seen whether Congress gave ticket to Chowdhary or would wait further and induct Priyanka Rawat to push her in fight here in Mohanlalganj.