Shatrughan Sinha considered from Varanasi

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

special report

Shatrughan Sinha considered from Varanasi  

Joint Opposition candidates against Modi planned 

Priyanka in the reckoning too 

Harish Gupta

New Delhi, April 4

The Opposition parties are seriously considering fielding a strong joint candidate from Varanasi against Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the ensuing Lok Sabha polls. The poll in Varanasi will be held on May 19 and last date for nominations is April 29. Except for the BJP no party has announced its candidate from the Varanasi seat. Even the Samajwadi Party which had made some announcement, has withdrawn its candidate. The BSP has opted out of the race and gave the seat to the Samajwadi Party as part of the seat sharing arrangement.

Highly placed sources in the Congress told Lokmat today that parleys have been going on to find a common ground to corner the BJP in Varanasi and not to allow a cakewalk to Modi who had won the seat by a margin of more than 3.50 lakh votes in 2014 Lok Sabha polls. This was largely because there was a 4-corner contest. This time, a common candidate be pitted against Modi to avoid splitting of anti-BJP votes.

If these sources are to be believed two names are under serious consideration for the Varanasi seat-- Priyanka Gandhi and Shatrughan Sinha. Though Shatrughan Sinha has already declared his intentions to contest from Patna Sahib which he represents in the Lok Sabha as BJP MP. But there is a suggestion that he shifts to Varanasi instead of Patna Sahib and become a joint Opposition candidate. He has personal rapport with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav who had earlier offered that his wife Poonam Sinha contest from Lucknow against the BJP stalwart Rajnath Singh on the SP ticket. Shatrughan Sinha is reported to have discussed this issue with Rahul Gandhi. However, details on this issue are not immediately known.

In addition to Shatrughan Sinha, a proposal is also afoot to field Priyanka Gandhi from the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat. Though she is campaigning in UP East but she can galvanize not only the party cadre but the entire area if she is fielded from Varanasi. Priyanka Gandhi had said in a lighter vein the other day in response to a question, “Do you want me to contest from Varanasi.”

Even Shatrughan Sinha was coy when asked by Lokmat today at his residence.He said, “A lot of people want me to contest from Varanasi. But it is not for me to comment. It is for the party to decide.”

A final decision in this respect will be taken sometime next week.

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Is It Modi VS Shatru in Varanasi ?

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Is It Modi VS Shatru in Varanasi ?

Opposition parties pitching a Joint candidate in 2019 

Harish Gupta

New Delhi, Jan. 22

The Opposition parties are contemplating pitching a joint candidate against Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency this time.

If sources in the top echelon of the Opposition are to be believed, rebel BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha has been sounded to take on the mighty Modi in May 2019 Lok Sabha polls.  

It transpires that Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav is the brain behind this move and a primary round of discussion had already taken place in Kolkata when these leaders met on Sunday last.

These sources told Lokmat today that Shatrughan Sinha is the most sought-after leader by Opposition parties today; if Mamata Banerjee wants him to contest from any seat in West Bengal, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal asked him to contest against BJP leader Manoj Tiwari in Delhi.  RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav wants him to be the joint Opposition candidate from Patna Sahib in Bihar, a constituency he currently holds in Lok Sabha as BJP MP.Sinha had met Lalu in Ranchi jail last month.  The Congress leadership is also very soft on him and willing to take him on board.

However, the Opposition leaders are looking for a formidable candidate against PM Modi from Varanasi and it is felt that  Shatrughan Sinha foots the bill given the situation. He is a BJP insider, a party veteran, popular, seasoned and commands a lot of goodwill.

The BJP leadership is also moving with caution to proceed against Sinha even after issuing him a public warning on Sunday itself when Shatrughan Sinha addressed an Opposition rally. Last ditch efforts may be on for some sort of a patch up though the die seems to have been cast.

The Opposition had failed in 2014 to put up a joint candidate against Modi from Varanasi due to variety of reasons with Congress and BSP candidates losing their deposits and Arvind Kejriwal getting more than two lakh votes and Modi touching almost 6 lakh vote figure. The opposition parties are keen to give BJP run for its money Varanasi this time and if Shatrughan Sinha is agreeable, it will be a stellar. Sinha will have nothing to lose even if he loses from Varanasi as he will be brought to the Rajya Sabha.

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Modi not to contest from Puri

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Modi not to contest from Puri

BJP shows “white Flag” to Naveen Patnaik

PM may contest from Gujrat too

Harish Gupta

New Delhi, Jan. 2

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on the horns of dilemma when it comes to selecting the second Lok Sabha seat in addition to Varanasi in UP in the ensuing Parliamentary polls in May 2019.

It was speculated earlier that he will contest from the Puri Lok Sabha seat in Odisha as part of the mega plan to conquer the coastal state which has 21 parliamentary seats.

Though the PM ducked the question in a TV interview yesterday when asked whether he would contest from Puri, sources in the BJP told Lokmat the plan was abandoned.

After the outcome of the recent Assembly poll results, the plans have hit a hurdle and the PM doesn't want to contest from Puri at all. If sources are to be believed, he is contemplating to contest from the second seat in his home state of Gujrat. Surely, he can contest from Vadodara Lok Sabha constituency which he vacated in 2014 itself and Ranjanben Bhatt was elected. But he is eyeing the Gandhinagar seat presently held by BJP veteran L K Advani who is now 90 years plus. However, intermediaries are working to find a solution as Modi doesn't want to be seen to be denying Advani Lok Sabha ticket as it may become an emotive issue. Modi has been told by BJP leadership that if he contests from Gujrat once again, the party can retain all 26 Lok Sabha seats.

It now transpires that the BJP high command has sent clear signals to the Naveen Patnaik government that Modi has no plans to contest from Puri. Rather, the BJP doesn't have much of a problem with the Biju Janata Dal government in Odisha as long as it keeps Congress at arms length. The BJD responded positively to these signals with a condition that its dissidents like B J Panda, a former member of the Lok Sabha, should not be patronized. Secondly, the BJD leaders should not be harassed in false cases by the CBI & ED “We have no interest in Delhi politics and Delhi should not look at East either,” Naveen sent the word.

Its largely because of this very reason that the CBI has gone silent in pursuing cases against BJD ministers and MLAs of the Naveen Patnaik government in various scams including Sarada Chit Fund cases.

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