UP election full of ‘changes’

Vivek Awasthi

Surprises have come up in the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls – from change of party to change of candidate and denial of ticket to sitting MLAs and even minister.

While minister in BJP government Swati Singh was denied ticket another woman is making news for getting ticket. Pooja Shukla is one of the youngest candidates in the elections and her claim to fame is different from the usual politicians.

Pooja had to spend time in jail for showing black flag to CM in June 2017, on the Lucknow University road when the CM Yogi Adityanath was on way for a function. Her attempt came to light and today she is candidate from Samajwadi party on Lucknow north seat.

Pooja came out of jail after about 20-days and also met Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav. She became leader of the SP’s student and youth wing.

Pooja will be contesting election against BJP’s Neeraj Bora. Former minister Abhishek Mishra had contested this seat on the SP ticket in 2012 and 2017. Mishra won in 2012 but lost it to BJP candidate Neeraj Bora in 2017. This constituency has a large number of Brahman votes.Shukla had done a hunger strike against on the LU campus after her result was stopped by the university. Bora is member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly. He is the son of the former UP legislator DP Bora.

Had Bora and Mishra contesting election on the Lucknow north seat it would have been a fight between two parties and two senior politicians but with the ‘change’ that Samajwadi Party has brought the contest is going to be interesting. Nominations for the Lucknow seats got over on Thursday, the last day for nominations.