while the officer Bharatiya Janata Party ,BJPDeputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya lost the election from his home constituency Sirathu in Kaushambi district.
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A prominent OBC leader, Maurya lost the Sirathu seat to Apna Dal (Kamerawadi) leader Pallavi Patel, who had fought over one. Samajwadi Party (SP) ticket, by 7,337 votes.
talking to Indian Express On Friday, Maurya said he had no doubts about his victory, admitting that he should have given more time to campaign in his constituency.
He said, ‘I was thinking that the entire state is important for us and hence I was addressing meetings wherever the party needed it. I was able to give only one and a half days in my own constituency. I should have given more time here (Sirathu). I had faith in the people of my area. I had no doubts about my victory,” he said.
When Maurya was asked about his plans now, Maurya said, “Whatever my party decides for me, I will abide by it. I can’t say anything more on this right now.”
Pallavi, daughter of late Kurmi (Patel) leader Sonelal Patel, is the elder sister of Apna Dal (Sonelal) chief and Union Minister Anupriya Patel.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Had addressed an election rally in Kaushambi and Home Minister Amit Shah also held a meeting in Sirathu.
One of the BJP leaders brought in from outside to be stationed in Sirathu for Maurya’s election campaign said party workers could not reach the Pasi (a Dalit community), who form a large part of the constituency’s electorate.
Another local BJP leader told Express, “Most of the BJP leaders who worked from outside while campaigning in Sirathu were from upper castes and had no personal connection with Dalit and OBC workers. It was a problem up to the booth level.”
A large number of voters in Sirathu belong to the Kurmi (OBC) community. Party sources said that UP BJP president and Kurmi leader Swatantra Dev Singh did not campaign in the constituency. However, Anupriya Patel held a rally in support of Keshav there.
Former state BJP chief Keshav had won from Sirathu in the 2012 elections, but resigned after being elected to the Lok Sabha in 2014 from Phulpur. He relinquished his Lok Sabha seat in 2017 after assuming the post of Deputy CM in the Yogi Adityanath cabinet and was later elected to the Legislative Council.
In the 2017 assembly elections, Sheetla Prasad had won on a BJP ticket from Sirathu, who is also a Kurmi leader. He was replaced this time by Keshav, which is also being seen as a reason why Patel voters were “bothered” with the latter in the constituency.