The Bharatiya Janata Party announced its candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, selecting Dinesh Pratap Singh for Rae Bareilly and Karan Bhushan Singh, son of former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Singh, for Kaiserganj.
Dinesh Pratap Singh had previously contested the 2019 general elections in Rae Bareilly but lost to Congress leader Sonia Gandhi. Following the announcement of his candidacy, Dinesh expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Modi, Amit Shah, and JP Nadda, stating his readiness to work hard and dismissing the significance of contesting against Congress leaders.
Karan Bhushan Singh, the younger son of Brij Bhushan Singh, has been chosen to run in the Kaiserganj constituency. Karan is the president of the Uttar Pradesh Wrestling Association and has a background in business management and shooting. His elder brother, Prateek Bhushan Singh, is currently an MLA.
Brij Bhushan Singh, a three-term MP from Kaiserganj, expressed his appreciation for the party’s decision and announced plans to file Karan’s nomination papers the following day. Karan visited Ayodhya’s Hanuman Garhi temple to seek blessings for his campaign.
The decision to field Karan from Kaiserganj comes shortly after a Delhi court dismissed Brij Bhushan Singh’s plea for a further investigation into allegations of sexual harassment against him by female wrestlers. A court hearing on the framing of charges in the case is scheduled for May 7.
Earlier, Brij Bhushan had criticized the media for the perceived delay in announcing his candidacy, attributing it to their influence.
The BJP’s choice of candidates reflects its strategy in these key constituencies as it seeks to strengthen its position in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
