The by-election will be held in Kethari Assembly in Ambedkar Nagar district. In this regard, candidates from the Janata Party, the Janata Party and the Janata Party submitted their nominations. The BJP named Dharamraj Nishad as its candidate, the SP named Shobhawati Verma as its candidate and the BSP named Amit Verma as its candidate. What is special is that in the Katehari by-election, the candidates of the three major parties are all from the OBC community.
BJP candidate Dharamraj Nishad and SP candidate Shobhavati Verma have been largely associated with BSP politics for a long time. Dharamraj Nishad became MLA from Katehri seat for the first time in 1996 on BSP ticket, thereafter Dharamraj Nishad also became MLA in 2002 by contesting from Katehri on BSP ticket, in 2007 Dharamraj Nishad became MLA from Katehri for the third time and Mayawati also appointed him As a minister. In 2012, the BSP changed his seat to Shahganj in Jaunpur, but he lost the election. Apart from this, the BSP nominated Dharamraj Nishad from Ayodhya’s Gosaiganj seat as its candidate in the 2017 assembly elections. Dharamraj also lost this election, after which Dharamraj Nishad joined the BJP in 2019 and in the 2022 assembly elections, the BJP elected Dharamraj as its leader candidate in Kebalpur Assembly, although Dharamraj also faces defeat in the 2022 elections.
SP candidate Shobhavati Verma is the wife of Lalji Verma.
SP candidate Shobhavati Verma is the wife of sitting SP MP Lalji Verma from Ambedkar Nagar. In 2022, Lalji Verma was elected as SP MLA from Katehri, but in 2024 Lok Sabha elections, SP made her its candidate and Lalji Verma won the election. The seat fell vacant after Lalji Verma became a member of Congress. According to sources, Lalji Verma only wants his family members to contest the elections from the Kaitri Assembly seat.
Chhaya Verma’s name sparks discussion
Lalji Verma became the MLA of BSP from Katehri in 2017 and from SP in 2022. That is why the Samajwadi Party has named Lalji Verma’s wife Shobhavati Verma, who also served as Ambedkar Nagar district president during the BSP government from 2011 to 2106, as its candidate. While Lalji Verma’s daughter Dr Chhaya Verma’s name has also entered the discussion for Kaitri by-election in the wake of the buzz, Samavadi The party announced his wife Shobhavati Verma as its candidate.
Amit Verma is contesting for the Congress for the first time.
Meanwhile, the political career of BSP candidate Amit Verma came into limelight and during the 2012 Assembly elections, the Congress declared him as its candidate from Katehri, although Amit Verma lost the first election in 2012 despite Thereafter he went on to win many elections and remained associated with Congress for a year. At the same time, Congress also appointed him district governor. After serving as the Congress district president for nearly two years, he suddenly resigned from the post and joined the BSP. I have also started to collect tickets. However, the Socialist Party of the Philippines announced Amit Verma as its candidate.
(Reporting – Krishna Kumar Pandey)
