Cong team in Unnao for filing nomination of its candidate
A special Congress team comprising Mahendra Singh (Bhopal) and Sonia Shukla (Indore) is responsible for preparations for filing Asha Singh’s nomination papers and also assist the candidate in strategic campaigning for the 2022 assembly polls. To note, Asha Singh is the mother of the Unnao rape victim.
Lucknow: A Congress team, including a woman leader, reached Unnao from Madhya Pradesh last week and begun camping there to assist Asha Singh, mother of Unnao rape victim and Congress candidate for Unnao assembly seat.
To note, Asha Singh is the mother of the 17-year-old girl who was gang raped in Unnao on June 4, 2017. Former BJP member Kuldeep Singh Sengar was convicted for the rape in 2019 and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) has set up a new party organisation structure in Unnao following the Congress’ statewide revamp, but the special team comprising Mahendra Singh (Bhopal) and Sonia Shukla (Indore) is responsible for preparations for filing Asha Singh’s nomination papers and also assist the candidate in strategic campaigning for the 2022 assembly polls.
“As of now, work on collection of all the documents, including no objection certificates (NOCs) etc. needed for filing nomination papers is in progress. The filing of nomination papers will begin in Unnao constituency on January 27. So, we propose to file her nomination papers in the next few days. We will soon workout a final date for filing of her nomination papers,” said Sonia Shukla.
On whether or not the Congress was facing any problems/hindrances in Unnao, Shukla claimed though things had improved to some extent now, a sense of some fear prevailed earlier when she reached Unnao. “A sense of fear persisted when I came here (Unnao). I faced threats as people called, asking me to go back. About two to three people came at a meeting and said bullet proof jackets will be needed for campaigning (in Unnao constituency). Things are getting better now,” she said.
“Unnao is my ‘myka’ (parental place) and so I am known to the people in the area. I have been meeting people and any such threats will not matter,” she added.
Asha Singh could not be reached for comments on the issue. Shukla, however, said family members of Asha Singh had urged all the political parties to support the Congress’ Unnao candidate.
“Giving threat to candidates, if any, is not good practice and should be reported to the Election Commission of India. Any individual or political party is free to field any candidate. The ECI should take appropriate action to ensure free and fair elections,” said Professor SK Dwivedi, former head of the department, political science, Lucknow University.
Madhya Pradesh leader Mahendra Singh, who has contested elections against MP chief minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan, said he had heard about the threats. “Whatever has happened is past. I am here (in Unnao) now and there should be no problem. Congress has declared tickets for three out of six assembly seats of Unnao and hope candidates for remaining three seats too will be announced soon. We are getting ready for filing of nomination papers on all the seats, though Unnao is going to be in focus,” said Singh.
Unnao District Congress Committee (DCC) acting president Yusuf Faruq Khurram said Congress’ team of Unnao was getting ready for campaigning. He said DCC president Arti Bajpai was also contesting the 2022 assembly polls and so he had been given charge as acting party chief. “Nomination papers of Asha Singh will be filed once all the documents are collected,” said Khurram
Asha Singh’s name figured on the Congress’ first list of 125 candidates declared on January 13, 2022. The Congress’ first list having 40 women candidates included Asha worker Poonam Pandey (Shahjahanpur), who was badly beaten up by the police and Lakhimpur Kheri’s Ritu Singh (from Mohammadi) who was disrobed in the recently concluded panchayat elections in Lakhimpur Kheri. Priyanka Gandhia Vadra had called the list “historic initiative” for implementing the party’s announcement of giving 40 percent tickets to women. She had said, “Efforts have been made to field candidates who have been struggling and fighting for a cause and who can work to bring about a new way of politics. We will give them power to fight for their cause.”
