In Gzb, BSP names first-timer Anshay Kalra as candidate

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) on Friday sprung a surprise and named first-timer Anshay Kalra as its candidate to contest from the Ghaziabad Lok Sabha constituency. He is 30.

The announcement came days after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress announced their respective candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

As of now, all three major political parties have banked on local candidates but have internally tried to unlock the caste juggernaut as well.

The BJP has fielded sitting MLA Atul Garg, from the Vaish community, while the Congress announced the name of its All India Congress Committee member Dolly Sharma, a brahmin as its candidate.

“During the past elections, we have given tickets to people from different castes and communities. This time we have given a ticket to Anshay Kalra, a Punjabi,” said Dayaram Sain, party’s district president.

Kalra’s name was announced as candidate in the presence of senior party leader Shamsuddin Raini, the party in-charge of western Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. “Our candidate is young and the party cadres will ensure he emerges successful,” he added.

Kalra, the youngest among the three candidates, lives in Kaushambi. “I and my family have been associated with the party for many years and this is my first stint in the elections. My focus is on taking up development for the city which faces many challenges,” he said. “I will be available for people and wish to raise their issues in Parliament,” said Kalra, who comes from a family which runs a construction business.

The Ghaziabad seat has been a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stronghold with the party winning from here in 1991, 1996, 1998 and 1999, BJP’S Ramesh

Chandra Tomar won the Ghaziabad-hapur parliamentary seat. In 2004, Congress’ Surendra Prakash Goel won the seat, while in 2009 Ghaziabad elected BJP’S Rajnath Singh as its MP. In 2014 and 2019, the seat went to BJP’S General VK Singh (retired).

“I will work hard for the youth and they constitute a major portion of the population in Ghaziabad. So, I expect that I will be able to win with an extensive campaign,” Kalra added.

With BSP’S announcement, all three major political parties have declared their candidates in Ghaziabad. The Congress is part of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc and will be supported by the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party.

Likewise, Jayant Chaudharyled Rashtriya Lok Dal has allied with the BJP this time.

The BSP has not entered into an alliance with any party.

Meanwhile, the nomination process is still on.