E-Paper
Rise of political heirs in Uttar Pradesh’s poll arena
The second and third generations of many political stalwarts from Uttar Pradesh will be entering the electoral battlefield to carry forward their family’s political legacy.
LUCKNOW: The endeavour to carry forward political legacies has begun, as several second and third generations of political stalwarts are entering the fray in the biggest battle of ballots.
Whether it’s the great grandson of one-time Congress stalwart and former UP Chief Minister Kamla Pati Tripathi, Lalitesh Tripathi, or the granddaughter of former union minister late Beni Prasad Verma, Shreya Verma, or even the grandson of west UP leader and Muslim figure late Shafique-ur-Rehman Barq, Zia-ur-Rehman Barq, the list includes six sons and daughters of various political figures and ministers, along with four candidates from the clan of socialist stalwart Mulayam Singh Yadav.
The latest addition to the list is Neeraj Tripathi, son of the late veteran BJP leader Kesari Nath Tripathi, who has been named as the BJP candidate for the Allahabad Lok Sabha seat.
Lalitesh Pati Tripathi, the former Congress MLA from the Madihaan assembly Mirzapur constituency, has been announced as the Lok Sabha candidate from the carpet town of Bhadohi, representing the Trinamool Congress (TMC) as part of its tie-up with the Samajwadi Party (SP) in Uttar Pradesh. He is the sole TMC candidate in the state. His great-grandfather, Kamla Pati Tripathi, had a longstanding association with the Congress party, which he ended by joining the TMC in 2021.
Shreya Verma, the granddaughter of another political stalwart, Beni Prasad Verma, has been fielded from Gonda as the Samajwadi Party candidate, challenging the incumbent BJP MP, Kirti Vardhan Singh. She is banking on her grandfather’s influence among the Kurmi caste group. Verma previously won the same Lok Sabha seat as a Congress candidate in 2009.
Zia-ur-Rehman Barq has replaced his grandfather, Shafique-ur-Rehman, who was set to contest from Sambhal seat once again but passed away at the age of 92 in February last following a prolonged illness. Zia, currently serving as the sitting SP MLA from the Kundarki assembly seat in Moradabad, is now contesting from his grandfather’s Lok Sabha constituency as the SP candidate.
Similarly, Ikra Hasan, the granddaughter of the late Congress stalwart Chaudhary Akhtar Hasan and the daughter of SP leaders late Munawwar Hasan and Tabassum Hasan, is continuing her family’s political legacy by entering the electoral arena as an SP candidate from Kairana. Her brother Nahid Hasan currently is a sitting MLA from the Kairana assembly segment.
Another Congress MP and former UP chief secretary, PL Punia’s son, Tanuj Punia, is also testing his luck in place of his father from Barabanki as the Congress candidate. He is contesting for the second time from the same seat after losing in 2019.
Five members from MSY’s clan likely to enter the political arena
Three from the family of SP patriarch late Mulayam Singh Yadav, including his daughter-in-law and Akhilesh Yadav’s wife, Dimple Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav’s cousin Dharmendra Yadav, and another cousin, Akshay Yadav, the son of SP MP Ram Gopal Yadav, are already in the fray from Mainpuri, Azamgarh, and Firozabad parliamentary constituencies, respectively. Two more members of the same family, Akhilesh Yadav’s uncle Shiv Pal Yadav’s son Aditya Yadav, and his nephew Tej Pratap Yadav or Akhilesh Yadav himself, are likely to contest the LS polls. Aditya is likely to replace his father, Shivpal, from Budaun, while either Akhilesh or Tej Pratap is expected to file nomination papers from Kannauj.
Two UP cabinet minister’s sons contesting
The list of second-generation politicians includes Arvind Rajbhar, the son of Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP)’s chief OP Rajbhar, who is vying for the Ghosi constituency. OP Rajbhar currently serves as MLA from the Zahoorabad assembly and holds a cabinet minister position in the BJP government in the state. Similarly, Praveen Kumar Nishad, the son of BJP ally NISHAD party’s founder Sanjay Nishad, who currently is a BJP MP from Sant Kabir Nagar, is also contesting from the same seat again.
Battle among sisters to claim father’s political legacy
Union minister Anupriya Patel and her sister Pallavi Patel are likely to enter the electoral fray to claim their father Sone Lal Patel’s political legacy. Sitting MP from Mirzapur, Anupriya Patel, is contesting as Apna Dal (S) candidate from the same seat. Her sister Pallavi Patel, who is an MLA from the Sirathu assembly constituency is expected to contest from either Phoolpur or Pratapgarh parliamentary constituency.”
