Jaunpur: Former BSP MP Dhananjay Singh Extends Support To BJP After Mayawati Cut Ticket Given To His Wife

Strongman and former Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MP Dhananjay Singh extended his support to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after Mayawati cut the ticket of his wife Shrikala Singh.

This comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's rallies in Jaunpur scheduled for tomorrow.

The BSP had earlier declared Shrikala Singh as its Jaunpur candidate. However, she was replaced by incumbent BSP MP Shyam Singh Yadav days after Dhananjay Singh came out of jail on bail.

Shyam Singh Yadav said that Mayawati called him a day before the last day of nomination filing and awarded him the ticket. Yadav is thus the only sitting BSP MP to be repeated.

While talking to his supporters on Tuesday (14 May), Dhananjay Singh appealed to them to vote for the BJP. He also praised PM Modi and UP CM Yogi Adityanath.

Singh initiated the discussion by saying that since he is out of the electoral fray now, they should consider which candidates are contesting. After discussion, he extended support to BJP candidate Kripashankar Singh.

Kripashankar has represented Mumbai Suburban districts's Kalina in the Maharashtra Assembly as a Congress MLA and was a Minister of State in Maharashtra's Home Affairs department in 2004.

The BJP nominated him from Jaunpur because he his ancestral village is there. Like Dhananjay, Kripashankar is also a Rajput by caste.

Political observer Amit Yadav believes that it was because of the BJP's choice of candidate Kripashankar that Dhananjay agreed to extend support to the BJP.

He also hopes that the BJP will reward Dhananjay Singh by giving a ticket to his wife Shrikala from Malhani for the 2027 UP Assembly elections.