The Janata Dal (United), an ally of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar and at the Centre, has mobilised its ministers, party leaders and office bearers in a bid to win the Malhani assembly seat in Jaunpur district for the UP polls.
Dhananjay Singh, a former MP known for muscle power, is contesting the Malhani seat on the Janata Dal (United) ticket. The constituency votes in the seventh and the last phase of the UP polls on March 7.
A battery of Bihar ministers and top leaders have launched a campaign in Malhani in support of Dhananjay Singh, who filed his nomination on February 16 after Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) withdrew charges of criminal conspiracy against him in connection with the murder of former block pramukh Ajeet Singh.
Dhananjay was earlier declared an absconder by a Lucknow court in July 2021.
The Janata Dal (United) leaders have played up the Bihar model of development under chief minister Nitish Kumar and the launch of welfare schemes for the poor at the public meetings.
Addressing a public meeting in support of Dhananjay Singh, Janata Dal (U) national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh aka Lallan Singh said the people should vote for the Janata Dal (United) candidate for the formation of a government based on socialism. The Janata Dal (United) will work for the welfare of the weaker sections and development of UP, he said on Monday. The Janata Dal (United) will strengthen its organisation and support base in UP to contest the Lok Sabha election, he added.
{{/usCountry}}Addressing a public meeting in support of Dhananjay Singh, Janata Dal (U) national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh aka Lallan Singh said the people should vote for the Janata Dal (United) candidate for the formation of a government based on socialism. The Janata Dal (United) will work for the welfare of the weaker sections and development of UP, he said on Monday. The Janata Dal (United) will strengthen its organisation and support base in UP to contest the Lok Sabha election, he added.
{{/usCountry}}Ramnath Thakur, JD (U) MP in the Lok Sabha, and the party’s state unit president Anup Singh Patel said, along with prohibition, the JD (U) will demand the distribution of credit cards among students as launched by the Bihar government.
Earlier, Bihar ministers Ashok Chaudhary, Jama Khan and Shravan Kumar addressed public meetings in Malhani in support of Dhananjay Singh.
Dhananjay Singh was elected as an independent MLA from the Rari assembly constituency in Jaunpur in 2002 and retained the seat in 2007 polls on the Janata Dal (United) ticket. In 2009, he won the Jaunpur Lok Sabha seat on the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) ticket.
The JD (U) has fielded candidates for 35 assembly seats mostly located in east UP.
To counter the challenge of JD (U) leaders, Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, party chief Akhilesh Yadav and former minister Shivpal Yadav will address public meetings in Malhani in support of party candidate Lucky Yadav, who had defeated
Dhananjay Singh in a by-poll in 2020.
Earlier, Samajwadi Party candidate and former Uttar
Pradesh minister Parasnath Yadav had defeated Dhananjay Singh in the 2017 assembly election, said a Samajwadi Party leader.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has fielded Krishna Pratap Singh, the BSP Shailendra Yadav and the Congress Pushpa Shukla for the Malhani seat.