Did BJP Just Secure Its Lok Sabha Candidate From Raebareli?

Even before the results of Rajya Sabha elections 2024 are out, Akhilesh Yadav, chief of Samajwadi Party (SP) has expressed his frustration on the news of cross-voting.

Setback For SP

Indications of cross-voting were apparent for the last few days. The contest had taken an interesting turn after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) decided to field Sanjay Seth, former SP leader, as its eighth candidate when it had the required numbers to only send seven of its members to the Upper House from Uttar Pradesh in this round of polls.

To fortify his side, Akhilesh Yadav had hosted a dinner on 26 February 2024, the evening before the election.

It was supposed to be a show of strength and unity, but all did not go as planned. Eight members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) of the Samajwadi Party, namely Rakesh Pandey, Abhay Singh, Manoj Kumar Pandey, Mukesh Verma, Maharaja Devi, Vinod Chaturvedi, Puja Pal and Rakesh Pratap Singh did not turn up for the dinner. (To be clear, not turning up for the event was not a definite indication that the absentees cross-voted).

On the morning of voting (27 February), the situation became clearer regarding at least one of the absentees. Manoj Kumar Pandey, SP’s chief whip in the Assembly, resigned.

SP had appointed Pandey as enforcer-in-chief of the party's strategy. With his resignation, hopes of keeping others in line also dissipated.

Pandey is expected to meet Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, later today, 27 February, and then head to Delhi to meet top BJP leadership in the coming days. He is expected to officially join the BJP later this week.

Uttar Pradesh watchers say that for Manoj Kumar Pandey, the possible benefits of switching over extend beyond this election.

Manoj Kumar Pandey: A Profile

Manoj Kumar Pandey is a long-time worker of the SP. He represents Unchahar assembly constituency in Raebareli district. Pandey is considered as one of the few Brahmin leaders who stuck by the party, even when the party was seen as antithetical to the interests of the 'upper castes'. Pandey has also served as the head of the Brahmin Sabha of SP. 

In 1993, he was appointed as the state general secretary of SP's Yuvjan Sabha, but later joined the Bharatiya Janata Party. In 2000, he was elected as the president of the Raebareli Nagar Palika on a BJP ticket for the first time, but returned to the Samajwadi Party in 2005.

Two years later, he contested the Assembly elections from the Lambhua seat in Sultanpur on a Samajwadi Party ticket, but lost.

The Unchahar seat came into existence after the delimitation of 2009. Pandey has been a three-time MLA from this seat, emerging victorious in 2012, 2017 and 2022.

He was amongst the few SP leaders who managed to resist the BJP wave of 2017.

In February 2014, months before Lok Sabha polls, Pandey was elevated from minister of state for agriculture and religious affairs to cabinet rank in the SP government cabinet. 

Now, ahead of one more general election, speculations are rife that Pandey is in contention for a BJP ticket from Raebareli.

Raebareli In 2024

The Congress has already declared that Sonia Gandhi, former Congress chief and representative of the constituency since 2004, will take the Rajya Sabha route to the Parliament this time. The Congress now has to decide who gets the party's ticket to contest from Raebareli.

Even if it is another member of the Gandhi-Nehru family, the contest will not be easy. In 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, the Congress lost all five assembly constituencies in the Raebareli Lok Sabha segment.

Pandey’s Moment?

After his resignation, Pandey went to cast his vote in the vehicle of Dayasharan Singh, a minister in the Adityanath-led government.

“Manoj Pandey has always been a supporter of Sanatan Dharma. When the proposal came for darshan of Ram Lala, he wanted everyone to go for darshan but people opposed it. Today they are taking decisions believing in the policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.” said Singh.

While nothing can be said for certain in the BJP of Modi-Shah, Pandey’s candidature from Raebareli will be a win-win for both the leader and the party. Pandey benefits by getting a Lok Sabha ticket. BJP gains by putting a strong local face against the eventual Congress candidate, which may well be a Gandhi.