Braj Bhushan Sharan Singh, 67, the wrestler-politician, wears the impression of a man in a hurry these days.
His days are choc-a-bloc with meetings and interactions – a drill he is used to anyway ahead of each election, having won six Lok Sabha terms, including five as the BJP candidate and one as the Samajwadi Party pick.
Such display of “activity” on social media is obviously aimed at giving the “all is well” impression. Yet, there is no denying the suspense enveloping around his candidature this time. The fact that his name didn’t figure on the first BJP list of 51 names (the party retained 47 of its sitting MPs) and the delay in announcing the remaining candidates on key seats, including Kaiserganj, has made his supporters a touch restless.
“Milihe kahe naahi (why won’t he get a ticket),” says a local wrestler from Gonda on the phone though this person also admits that the delay in announcing his candidature is unusual.
The suspense this time on his candidature has grown ever since some top women wrestlers of the country, led by Olympians Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik, have accused him of mental torture and sexual harassment.
The controversial political heavyweight has been defiant against the onslaught. A huge winnability factor accompanies him into each election, and which means Singh is no easy pushover.
{{/usCountry}}The controversial political heavyweight has been defiant against the onslaught. A huge winnability factor accompanies him into each election, and which means Singh is no easy pushover.
{{/usCountry}}But the fact remains that for first time since 2012, Singh isn’t the Wrestling Federation of India chief, after being made to sit out of those elections in the face of the controversy. It means that the politician with huge “dabdaba (clout)” can’t take it easy this time.
That he may indeed be a touch nervous on his prospects was apparent when he shoved at a reporter from electronic channel in Lucknow when his views were sought on his election prospects this time.
“He had arrived at the U.P. BJP office and when he emerged after the meeting, a local reporter sought his views on the BJP’s prospects. Singh was answering all the queries quite adeptly but as soon as his views were sought on his prospects and if he would get the BJP’s nod this time, he appeared to have pushed the reporter aside rather rudely,” an eyewitness recalled.
The news channel to which the reporter belonged also ran a story on the episode to highlight how Singh was getting restless on his chances.
To be sure, if he does miss out on a ticket, this won’t be the first time for him. In 1996, too, he lost out on a BJP nomination after being accused of sheltering terrorists – a charge from which he was subsequently exonerated. His wife Ketaki had contested the Gonda Lok Sabha seat in his absence and won then, a possibility that is alive even now.
As of now, the Samajwadi Party, too, hasn’t named a candidate for the Kaiserganj seat and the buzz is that the state’s main opposition party won’t think twice about backing the influential wrestler, who was close to Vishva Hindu Parishad veteran Ashok Singhal and played a key role in the Ayodhya temple movement, if the BJP didn’t.
This isn’t the first time when the influential east UP politician is facing charges. Yet, this is the most serious one in his long and eventful political career. His activity list, however, makes it clear that Singh has his plans ready for any eventuality.