New Delhi | Ending weeks of speculation, the BJP on Thursday named Karan Bhushan Singh as its Lok Sabha candidate from the Kaiserganj seat in Uttar Pradesh, replacing his father and incumbent MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is facing criminal charges of sexually harassing women wrestlers.
The party also named Dinesh Pratap Singh as its candidate from Rae Bareli, a Gandhi family bastion which was won by former Congress president Sonia Gandhi five consecutive times.
Sonia Gandhi is now a Rajya Sabha MP and the Congress is yet to announce its candidate for the seat.
While Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh may have been denied the ticket, the fact that the seat's contest remains within the family shows how influential the Thakur leader and six-time MP is in the region and the party.
The former Wrestling Federation of India president, who stepped down amid a raging protest against him over the allegations, has denied the charges. The Delhi Police has filed a charge sheet against him in court.
Brij Bhushan Singh runs a large number of educational institutions in Gonda and neighbouring districts and is seen by his admirers as a benefactor to his constituents, something which has built him a loyal support base and kept him politically strong.
Dinesh Pratap Singh, a minister in the Uttar Pradesh government, was the BJP's candidate from the Rae Bareli parliamentary seat in 2019 too.
Both seats are going to the polls in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha election on May 20. The last date for filing nomination papers is May 3.
Celebrations broke out at Kaiserganj MP and former Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh's home here after the BJP named his son Karan Bhushan Singh as its Lok Sabha candidate from the constituency.
The party replaced Brij Bhushan Singh, who faces criminal charges of sexually harassing women wrestlers, with his son from the seat.
In a video on social media, Karan Singh is seen touching the feet of his father, who is seated amid supporters at home. "I am thankful to the party leadership and the public that they have given me an opportunity to serve the people here," he told media persons after his name was announced.
Speaking to a news channel, Brij Bhushan Singh said, "I am not bigger than the party... I welcome the party's decision."
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath congratulated Karan Bhushan Singh after the BJP named him as its candidate.
This will be Karan Bhushan Singh's first political battle. Born on December 13, 1990, Karan Singh is a law graduate and was elected the chairman of the Uttar Pradesh wrestling federation last year.
His elder brother Prateek Bhushan Singh is a BJP MLA. His mother Ketki Devi Singh is a former MP from Gonda. The family enjoys support, particularly among the upper castes in Gonda and nearby districts.
