Who will be BJP's candidate from Phulpur against Mohd Kaif?

, March 24: The

in Phulpur is not facing any problem with Apna Dal (a political outfit of Kurmis) candidate Anupriya Patel, but it is going through a fresh bout of infighting in the constituency.

According to reports, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Ashok Singhal has put a veto on this seat. The BJP is yet to take a final call between MLA from Sirathu in Kaushambi, Keshav Prasad Maurya and national spokesperson Sidharth Nath Singh, to contest from Phulpur constituency.

Some BJP leaders are rallying the name of the grandson of former prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, Sidharth Nath Singh.

Many leaders have presented their viewpoints regarding Phulpur candidate in front of the party's cabinet committee.

Sources said that the seat won't go in the kitty of Apna Dal, with which BJP has stitched an alliance. The party has agreed to offer Mirzapur and Pratapgarh seats to its leader Anupriya Patel.

BJP is soon expected to take a final decision over Phulpur candidate.

Earlier, four names from BJP were doing the rounds for Phulpur constituency.

Some party leaders believe that Sidharth Nath Singh has been lobbying with the BJP leaders in Delhi from last two years to contest from Phulpur and similarly, Maurya also jumped into poll fray last year for this seat.

According to RSS leaders, BJP is strong in regions like City West, City North and rural belts like Jhunsi, Soraon and Phaphamau.

BJP hasn't named any candidate for Phulpur constituency, although, many thought that it will declare name in the second list.

But due to two candidates and fighting between their supporters, the party is still dithering to announce their candidate.

Maurya is emerging as an active candidate on the basis of his VHP link. Sources said that VHP has put pressure on the BJP leadership to declare Maurya as Phulpur candidate. Members of Parliamentary Election Committee have also been contacted in this regard.

However, Delhi BJP leaders are in the favour of Sidharth's candidature.

The party is soon expected to take a final decision over Phulpur candidate.

The Congress has already named cricketer-turned-politician Mohammad Kaif as their candidate from Phulpur constituency. However, his nomination also didn't go down well with the local Congress leaders who consider Kaif as an 'outsider'.

Phulpur, dominated by Kurmis, is a historic parliamentary constituency as it was once represented by the former prime minister of India, Pt Jawahar Lal Nehru.

Dharamraj Patel, Kapilmuni Karwariya and Shimla Shri are the respective candidates of SP, BSP and AAP.

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