The poll scene in Prayagraj region is a saga of contrasts this time as a few candidates have entered the electoral fray from their traditional seats while there are many others who in their bid to get elected are always ready to contest from anywhere regardless of their political home turf.
For instance, Congress’ Anugrah Narayan Singh is contesting from his traditional Allahabad North assembly seat for the 10th time in last 37 years and Raghuraj Pratap Singh is in the fray from Kunda seat for the seventh time in last 29 years.
On the other hand, the Apna Dal (Sonelal) candidate from Bara seat Vachaspati has in the past contested the assembly polls from different seats. In 1996, he contested the polls on a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket from Manjhanpur seat of Kaushambi and ended up losing to the Bahujan Samaj Party’s Indrajeet Saroj.
In 2007, he fought the assembly elections from Sirathu seat of Kaushambi district and emerged a winner. However, in 2012 he entered the poll fray from Soraon seat as an independent candidate but stood third.
In 2014 by-polls, he contested the elections from Sirathu again and emerged victorious but as a Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate. In 2017, he again contested from Sirathu seat as an SP candidate but lost to Sheetla Prasad of BJP.
{{/usCountry}}In 2014 by-polls, he contested the elections from Sirathu again and emerged victorious but as a Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate. In 2017, he again contested from Sirathu seat as an SP candidate but lost to Sheetla Prasad of BJP.
{{/usCountry}}Similarly, Mohd Mujtaba Siddiqui, the SP candidate from Phulpur seat of Prayagraj in 2022 UP polls, in the past has contested the polls from two assembly seats. In 2002 and 2007, he entered the fray from Soraon on a BSP ticket and emerged victorious but then shifted to Pratappur seat of the district.
In 2012, he contested as the BSP candidate but lost to Vijma Yadav of the SP. However, in 2017, he tasted success from the same seat as a BSP candidate defeating his nearest Apna Dal (S) rival Karan Singh to become an MLA only to join the SP over his differences with BSP leadership.
Another such leader is former SP MP from Phulpur Nagendra Singh Patel who this time is contesting from Kaushambi district’s Chail seat as an Apna Dal (S) candidate. Even SP candidate from Pratappur seat Vijma Yadav, who in 2012 had won from Pratappur, has earlier in 1996 and 2002 entered the poll fray from Phulpur seat and had won.
Two-time MLA from Allahabad West seat on a BSP ticket Pooja Pal has changed not just her political party but also the seat for 2022 polls. This time, she has been fielded from Kaushambi’s Chail seat as an SP candidate.
Changing seats to contest elections also means that many leaders in Prayagraj region would not be able to even vote for themselves. Be it deputy chief minister and BJP candidate from Sirathu seat of Kaushambi Keshav Prasad Maurya or state cabinet minister and BJP candidate from Allahabad West Sidharth Nath Singh, both would not be able to vote for themselves as their names are in the voter list of Allahabad North.
Similarly, Apna Dal (S) leader Nagendra Singh Patel who is contesting from Kaushambi district’s Chail seat has his home in Phulpur. SP candidate from Chail Pooja Pal has her name in voter list of Allahabad West and SP candidate from Meja Sandeep Singh resides in Bara and has his name also in the voter list of Bara.