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UP Election 2022: Govind Nagar Assembly seat, how BJP continues to feed off Congress stronghold

We decipher why Govind Nagar Assembly seat is bone of contention this upcoming Assembly polls and how BJP has continued to feed off the Congress stronghold.
 

UP Election 2022: Govind Nagar Assembly seat, how BJP continues to feed off Congress stronghold-dnm
Author
Lucknow, First Published Jan 17, 2022, 8:30 PM IST

All political parties are busy making strategies for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. While the Congress wants to re-establish itself with the help of General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi, BJP wants to retain power.

However, notably factionalism prevails within the Congress, due to which the organisation has to bear the brunt. There are 10 Vidhan Sabha seats in Kanpur but the bone of contention is the Govind Nagar Assembly seat. Gaining an understanding of the political mathematics of this seat, BJP has continued to feed off the Congress stronghold.

Govind Nagar is a Brahmin dominated area and was one of the largest Assembly seats in UP. Before 2012, Ajay Kapoor of Congress was the MLA for two consecutive terms. Meanwhile, following the delimitation, Govind Nagar seat was divided into two. Kidwai Nagar Assembly seat came into existence after parting from Govind Nagar seat. Congress strongman Ajay Kapoor had won the 2012 Assembly elections by contesting from Kidwai Nagar.

In the 2012 and 2017 Assembly elections, Govind Nagar seat was won by BJP's Satyadev Pachauri. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Satyadev became the MP of Kanpur and the seat fell vacant. As a result, by-elections were held for this seat, in which Surendra Maithani of BJP defeated Karishma Thakur of Congress. Though caste equations play an important role in elections, the Congress had fielded a Kshatriya candidate in a Brahmin dominated seat.

Also read: UP Election 2022: Chhattisgarh CM says EC not acting fairly, questions UP Police’s ‘selective’ FIR against him

Amidst factionalism, many ticket contenders such as former MLA and AICC National Secretary Ajay Kapoor have an eye on Govind Nagar seat. Ajay Kapoor's name reverts in the Assembly only second to former Union Coal Minister Shriprakash Jaiswal.

Therefore, along with Kidwai Nagar seat, there has been interference in Govind Nagar seat as well. Former MLAs field their close ones in Govind Nagar seat, and face defeat.

The Congress high command is having to face factionalism even during the 2022 UP Assembly elections. Despite Govind Nagar being a Brahmin seat, Karishma Thakur is claiming for the ticket. Young student leader Vikas Awasthi is the strongest contender for the ticket. While former MLA Ajay Kapoor is trying his best to get the ticket for his close aide Shailendra Dixit, the Congress high command is having to wrestle for this seat.

The Congress in 2017 was able to register victory in only one of the 10 Assembly seats in Kanpur. The grand old party is aiming to win 30 out of 52 seats in Kanpur-Bundelkhand Assembly elections in 2022.

As mentioned above Govind Nagar seat is a bone of contention as there are about 1 lakh 49 thousand Brahmin voters in Govind Nagar constituency. There are about 85 thousand voters belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. About 29 thousand voters from Muslim community, 16 thousand Yadav community voters, 14 thousand Punjabi Sindhis, around 13 thousand Kshatriya and Vaish voters, and 11 thousand Kushwaha voters.

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