SP may field Brahmin candidate against Yogi
Subhavati Shukla, wife of late Upendra Dutt Shukla, who was BJP’s state vice-president, joins the Samajwadi Party along with her two sons
LUCKNOW The Samajwadi Party (SP) may field a Brahmin candidate against chief minister Yogi Adityanath on his home turf – Gorakhpur Sadar seat. It could be Subhavati Shukla, wife of late Upendra Dutt Shukla, who was BJP’s state vice-president.
If her candidature goes through, it could corner Yogi Adityanath on his home turf when Bhim Army chief Chandrashekar Azad has announced to contest against him from this seat.
Yogi Adityanath is a Thakur (a Hindu upper caste) and Chandrashekhar Azad a Dalit. By fielding a Brahmin, the SP would look to garner Brahmin, Yadav, Muslim votes to itself, said sources.
Subhavati, along with her two sons, joined the Samajwadi Party on Thursday evening. Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, at his press conference on Thursday, hinted about her candidature when asked about whom the SP intends to field against Yogi Adityanath.
“A lot of aspirants have applied for contesting the seat. And a Brahmin family too has come today to meet me,” said Akhilesh
The party had not said anything officially about the Gorakhpur Sadar seat or about Subhavati’s candidature, but on its twitter handle posted a picture of Subhavati along with several persons, stating: “Impressed with SP’s policies the family of late Upendra Nath Shukla, former BJP vice-president and former Gorakhpur Lok Sabha bypoll candidate’s family joined the SP.”
Upendra Nath Shukla was a prominent local Brahmin leader from the BJP, who had been at loggerheads with Adityanath. He had contested the Lok Sabha bypoll from Gorakhpur seat in 2018 (after Adityanath vacated it on becoming CM) and lost the bypolls to Praveen Nishad. In 2020, Upendra Dutt Shukla died of cardiac arrest at the age of 60.
