The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday declared its candidates for the Raebareli and Kaiserganj seats for the Lok Sabha elections, dropping former Wrestling Federation of India president and accused to sexual harassment by some India’s top women wrestlers, from the constituency. The party has instead fielded his son, Karan Bhushan Singh, as his replacement.
Brij Bhushan had represented the seat for three straight terms. Kaiserganj goes to polls in the fifth phase on May 20 and the nomination process ends on Friday.
WFI president for over a decade, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh hit headlines early last year when the country’s top wrestlers, including Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshee Malikkh, accused him of sexually harassing women wrestlers and staged a massive protest in the national capital. The case is pending against him in a Delhi court.
The party has also named its candidate for the Raebareli seat which was vacated by Congress heavyweight Sonia Gandhi who moved to the Rajya Sabha earlier this year. The BJP has fielded Dinesh Pratap Singh from the seat that has been a Gandhi family bastion for decades.