Rampur: Days before the Lok Sabha elections kickoff on April 11, Samina Begum, a triple talaq victim who was denied to contest from Rampur on a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket, slammed the party for going with a chor chowkidar over someone who has been fighting for victims’ rights.
According to a report by a daily, Samina had declared candidature as an Independent on March 12. Less than a week later, she told reporters that she is in talks with the party leadership. She had also said that the party would declare her candidature from the Rampur constituency soon.
Begum accused the saffron party of not fulfilling promises such as the Ram temple issue, the triple talaq matter. Calling Jaya Prada, BJP candidate for Rampur, an opportunist, Samina said, that Prada enjoyed the status of a Samajwadi Party MP for 10 years before switching to BJP and that she had done nothing for the development of the district in the 10 years.
During her 10-year tenure as MP, Jaya Prada she did nothing for the development of Rampur’s residents, she added.
BJP West UP traders cell Convenor Akash Saxena told TOI, “We have a procedure to follow in our party to apply for a ticket. First, the person who wishes to contest has to approach the district president who recommends his or her name to organization secretary in Lucknow. In Samina’s case, she never applied for a BJP ticket. Only she can say who she was talking to in the party in Lucknow or in Delhi.”
Elections in Rampur will take place during the third phase of elections on April 23. From Congress, Sanjay Kapoor will contest the elections, while for the alliance, Samajwadi Party top leader Azam Khan will go for polls.
