Jailed don seeks re-election in UP Vidhan Parishad

Varanasi, March 17 Jailed mafia don and outgoing MLC Brijesh Singh has filed his nomination for the legislative council elections from Varanasi.

The seat, which comprises Varanasi, Bhadohi and Chandauli districts, has been with his family since 1998. His wife and former MLC Annapurna Singh has also filed her papers for the same seat.

Brijesh had won the election in 2016 after his wife completed her term.

Deputy district election officer and returning officer for MLC (local bodies) election, Ran Vijay Singh, said: "Two candidates, Brijesh Singh and Annapurna Singh, filed their papers as independent candidates. Earlier, one Jai Ram of Lok Dal had filed his papers."

As per the revised schedule issued by the Election Commission of India, the nomination filing process for the MLC polls will continue till March 21.

When the nomination process began on February 4, Brijesh and his wife had purchased the forms, but the election was postponed in view of the Assembly polls.

The records of local bodies election for Varanasi constituency show that in 1998, Brijesh's brother Udaynath Singh a.k.a. Chulbul Singh, had won this seat for the first time and retained it in 2004.

In 2010, Annapurna contested on a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) ticket and emerged victorious.

In 2012, Brijesh had initially tried his luck in the state's Assembly election contesting from Saiyyedraja seat under Chandauli district on the ticket of a lesser-known political party, Pragatisheel Manav Samaj Party. However, he lost against Independent Manoj Singh Dabloo.

After winning the election, Manoj joined the Samajwadi Party (SP).

In 2016, when Brijesh decided to contest the MLC election, Annapurna, who campaigned for her husband, was expelled from the BSP on charges of anti-party activities.

When Brijesh came into the fray, the SP tried to repeat the experiment of Saiyyedraja Assembly election 2012 by fielding Manoj's sister Meena against him.

However, of the 4,257 votes cast for the election in Varanasi, Bhadohi and Chandauli districts of the constituency in 2016, Brijesh secured 3,038 ballots, while Meena could manage only 1,084.

The BJP, BSP and the Congress had avoided fielding any candidate in the 2016 election.

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