LUCKNOW The Nagina Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh, which will go to polls in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections on April 19, is likely to see a division of Dalit votes with Muslim voters also playing a crucial role in deciding the fate of candidates. All eyes will be on Azad Samaj Party (ASP) chief Chandra Shekhar Azad, who is eyeing the BSP’s Jatav support base, after filing his nomination papers from the constituency on Friday.
During the day, Samajwadi Party’s Manoj Kumar also filed his nomination papers from the constituency. Two other candidates filed their papers – Har Kishor Singh of the Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) for the Moradabad parliamentary seat and Sanjay Kumar Bharti of the Rashtriya Samaj Dal (R) for the Rampur seat. So far, only these four nomination papers have been filed for the first phase of the LS polls in UP.
While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced to field Om Kumar, sitting MLA from Nehtaur assembly seat, from this seat, the Samajwadi Party has fielded former judicial officer Manoj Kumar and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) - that bagged the seat in the 2019 Lok Sabha election - shifted its sitting MP Girish Chandra to Bulandshahr and fielded Surendra Pal who belongs to the Jatav community.
Earlier, Azad had planned to contest as INDIA bloc candidate from Nagina seat. He was active in the area with RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary, holding meetings in west UP. He also played a pivotal role in mobilizing the Dalit community to support RLD candidate Madan Bhaiya in the bypoll on Khatauli assembly seat held in December 2022. Madan Bhaiya defeated BJP candidate Rajkumari Saini.
{{/usCountry}}Earlier, Azad had planned to contest as INDIA bloc candidate from Nagina seat. He was active in the area with RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary, holding meetings in west UP. He also played a pivotal role in mobilizing the Dalit community to support RLD candidate Madan Bhaiya in the bypoll on Khatauli assembly seat held in December 2022. Madan Bhaiya defeated BJP candidate Rajkumari Saini.
{{/usCountry}}After Jayant walked out of the INDIA bloc to join the NDA, there were no takers for the ASP chief in the alliance despite support from Congress leader Imran Masood, who is likely to contest from Saharanpur seat. Even as Chandra Shekhar Azad launched the poll campaign as INDIA bloc candidate, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav closed the doors by announcing Manoj Kumar as party candidate. In the 2022 assembly election, Azad was denied ticket by the SP-led alliance.
After filing papers, Azad held meetings in Dalit dominated areas to send a message that he will claim the support base of the BSP - Jatavs. The shifting of sitting BSP MP Girish Chandra, who belongs to the Jatav community, has baffled the Dalit community. Terming the decision to shift Chandra a strategic move by the party, a BSP leader said: “The party has given ticket to a young worker, Surendra Pal, who belongs to the Jatav community to give a message that hard working and loyal party workers will be rewarded with ticket.”
SP candidate Manoj Kumar also filed his nomination on Friday. Kumar said he had taken voluntary retirement from judicial service to contest the Lok Sabha election. The SP is working on the Muslim- OBC formula to win the seat.
Located in the Rohilkhand region of west UP, Nagina seat came into existence in 2009 Lok Sabha election. On the recommendation of the Delimitation Commission, it was carved out of the Bijnor LS seat. Among the five assembly seats in the constituency, Najibabad, Nagina and Noorpur were bagged by the SP in the 2022 assembly polls while the BJP won Dhampur and Nehtaur seats.
The support of Muslims (28% voters) and Dalits (22% voters) will decide the fate of the candidates here. SP candidate Yashvir Singh secured victory in 2009 LS polls, BJP candidate Yashwant Singh emerged victorious in 2014 elections while BSP candidate Girish Chandra secured victory in 2019 Lok Sabha election defeating BJP candidate Yashwant Singh.