BJP Declares Criminal Cases Against 25 UP Candidates, Justifies Tickets Citing 'Extreme Popularity' & 'Political Rivalry'

The BJP in Uttar Pradesh has declared criminal cases against 25 of its candidates out of the first list of 107 candidates declared last week, including Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, but justified tickets to all of them saying they were implicated in cases due to “political rivalry”.

Maurya faces four criminal cases and is the party’s candidate from Sirathu. “He is sitting MLA, Deputy CM of the state, former MP and former state president of the party. He is extremely popular not only in this constituency but across the state… further his name has been forwarded by the district unit of the party on the basis of merit, his social work and work in the field of upliftment of the people of the state,” the BJP has said in a declaration on the reasons for the selection of the candidate with criminal cases against him.

As per the new requirement of the Election Commission of India since Bihar Assembly elections last year, political parties have to publicly declare why they are giving tickets to persons with criminal cases against them and reasons why other individuals without criminal antecedents could not be selected as candidates.

“He (Maurya) has been implicated in cases due to political rivalry, hence he has been preferred over the other candidates,” the BJP declaration says regarding Keshav Prasad Maurya.

The BJP has also declared that its candidate from Thana Bhawan and minister Suresh Rana has three cases against him. “He is the sugarcane development minister in the present government and is extremely popular due to his outstanding work for release of cane dues to farmers,” the BJP has said.

Babu Lal, the BJP candidate from Fatehpur Siri, has as many as seven cases against him. “He has been implicated in cases due to political rivalry,” the BJP says.

Party candidate Umesh Malik from Budhana, Kapil Dev Agrawal who has been given ticket from the Muzzafarnagar seat and Amit Aggrawal put up from Meerut Cantonment also have six cases apiece against them.

The BJP has strongly criticised the Samajwadi Party-RLD alliance and Congress for giving tickets to criminal elements in Uttar Pradesh, like Nahid Hassan from Kairana seat by the SP and he was soon arrested. The SP and the Congress are still to come out with their justifications about such choice of candidates, with such declarations mandated by the Election Commission.

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