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In contest of contrasts, educationist faces poll test again Afzal
Fielded by the BJP, Rai is facing Afzal Ansari, the elder brother of don-politician Mukhtar Ansari, who died due to cardiac arrest in Banda jail on March 28.
It’s a contest of contrasts in Ghazipur. Parasnath Rai, an educationist and over four-decade old functionary of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), is in the poll fray for the first time. Fielded by the BJP, Rai is facing Afzal Ansari, the elder brother of don-politician Mukhtar Ansari, who died due to cardiac arrest in Banda jail on March 28.
For Rai, it is one of the toughest tests of his life at the age of 69. He has been the long-time electoral manager of Jammu and Kashmir lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha.
On the other hand, Afzal Ansari is a veteran in electoral politics. He is two-term MP from Ghazipur and five-term former MLA from Mohammadabad assembly segment.
Afzal Ansari won as a joint candidate of the BSP-SP alliance in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, defeating former Union minister Manoj Sinha by over 1.19 lakh votes. This time, he is the Lok Sabha candidate of the INDIA bloc on the Samajwadi Party ticket.
The BJP top leadership finalised Rai’s name on the RSS recommendation following his clean image and dedicated work as a RSS functionary.
Before Rai, the names of slain BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai’s wife Alka Rai and Manoj Sinha’s son Abhinav Sinha did the rounds.
But Alka Rai’s name was ruled out as she lost the 2022 assembly polls against Mukhtar’s nephew Suhaib Ansari from Mohammadabad. Abhinav Sinha’s name was also ruled out as selecting him could have led to accusations of nepotism.
Rai said he was never willing to contest elections before and continued to work as RSS functionary till his name was finalised as the Lok Sabha candidate from Ghazipur on April 10.
He said he had no political aspirations and he was quite happy discharging his organization (RSS) had given to him.
He was RSS Vibhag Sampark Pramukh from 2019 till April 10 and before that he had served the Sangh on different posts since 1980.
He said he agreed to contest his first Lok Sabha polls as he never denied the instructions from his top functionaries.
“I was teaching Hindi to Class 12 students at Madan Mohan Malviya Inter College at my native village Sikhadi under Manihari block of Jakhania tehsil of Ghazipur when I was informed of my selection,” he said.
“It is like any other responsibility that I was given in the past and I will perform it with full dedication and honesty,” he said.
About his first political contest against Afzal, Rai said, “I never contested elections before but have long-term experience as the electoral manager of Manoj Sinha. I know the taste of winning and losing both and am well aware of basic things required for winning polls. Besides, the entire organization is assisting me in my campaign.”
Rai said he completed his studies till Class 8 at the government school in his village and did his intermediate (Class 12) from Bhudkudha Inter College before taking admission in Banaras Hindu University in 1972. After graduation, he completed his post-graduation in Sanskrit in 1976.
The Emergency was imposed in his BHU days during which he came in touch with Ram Bahadur Rai and Ashok Rai alias Ashok Bhagat.
He became principal of Madan Mohan Malviya Inter College in 1986 after its management agreed to rename the college on BHU founder’s name.
Rai laid the foundation of Sabri Post Graduate College at his native place in 1999 while serving as the principal of the inter college. He worked as manager of the PG college after his retirement.
He has two sons, Ashutosh Rai, a BJP youth wing office bearer, and Ashish Rai, a primary school teacher, and two daughters, who are married.
