In Gonda, saffron faces more saffrons

THE BJP candidate from Gonda Sadar, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urged people to vote for BJP so that “Gonda could be saved from enemies across the border”, is set for a tough showdown, with two party rebels, including an RSS loyalist, contesting from the seat.

Prateeksingh,sonoffive-time Bjpmpbrijbhushansharansingh, faces party rebels Mahesh Narayan Tiwari and Gonda Municipal Board chairman Nirmal Srivastava.

Tiwari, a known RSS man and Bjpleaderinthedistrict,iscontesting as a Shiv Sena candidate after he was denied a ticket. In 2012, he hadbaggedthesecondspotasthe BJP nominee.

The seat, which goes to polls onmonday,hasbeenaprestigeissue for long for two old rivals and alleged local musclemen: Kaiserganj MP Brijbhushan and state minister Vinod Singh, alias Pandit Singh, whose nephew Suraj is contesting on a SP ticket.

Brij Bhushan had defeated Pandit in 2014 Lok Sabha election as well. Pandit, the sitting MLA from Gonda Sadar, is contesting from Tarabganj in the district. He had won from Gonda Sadar in 2002 as well on a SP ticket. Suraj (36), a hotelier, is contesting his firstelection.hiswifeshradhhais the Zila Panchayat chairperson.

Gonda Sadar has around 3.5 lakh voters, Brahmins and Muslimsbeingthemostpopulous communities, followed by OBCS and Thakurs.

“Tiwari had been associated with RSS in the past... He has also beenworkingforthebjpforalong time.hecoulddamagebjpbygetting the Brahmin votes,” BJP supporter Ram Sharan Sharma said. Locals claimed Tiwari has a prohindtva image. “He had been in jail for around two months last year after stones were pelted on a Durgapujaprocessioninthecity,” said an associate of Tiwari.