They might have lost their kingdom, but people may bring them back to power — a number of royals have thrown their hat in the ring in the high-voltage Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
In Rampur, sitting MLA Nawab Kazim Ali of Nawab family is once again in the fray, his fifth from the Swar seat, where he is being challenged by Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan’s son Abdullah Azam.
This time Mr. Ali is contesting from a different party, the BSP.
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The majestic Noor Mahal, where he resides, used to be the centre of activity for the Congress in the days gone by.
In Agra, Bhadawar dynasty’s Rani Pakchhalika Singh, who lost the 2012 polls from Khariagarh on SP ticket, is again contesting from the same seat on BJP ticket.
Pratapgarh’s Kunda constituency always remains in news due to Raghuraraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya of the Bhadri dynasty. He is again in the fray from the same seat as an Independent candidate and is looking forward to a double hat-trick win.
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Raja Bhaiya has been a Minister in the governments of Kalyan Singh, Ram Prakash Gupta, Rajnath Singh and Mulayam Singh in the past. He is now in the Akhilesh Yadav Cabinet.
Former MLA, Bargadikot dynasty’s Kunwar Ajay Pratap Singh alias Lalla Bhaiya is in the fray from the Colonelganj seat of Gonda on BJP ticket. Mr. Singh has been a five-time MLA.
Another royal Mayankeshwar Sharan Singh is contesting from Rae Bareli’s Tiloi seat on BJP ticket. He has been an MLA thrice but lost the previous polls on SP ticket.
In Allahabad, Baraon dynasty’s Ujjwal Raman Singh is contesting on SP ticket from Karchhana seat. His father Reoti Raman Singh is a senior SP leader and sitting Rajya Sabha member.
In eastern Uttar Pradesh, Kunwar Shivendra Singh of Siswan dynasty is contesting on SP ticket from Siswan in Maharajganj district.
Amethi is also going to witness a ‘rani versus rani’ battle, with Congress MP Sanjay Singh’s wife Amita Singh likely to take on his first wife Garima Singh, who is contesting on BJP ticket.
The Samajwadi Party gave ticket to sitting MLA and controversial leader Gayatri Prajapati in the Congress bastion, leaving Amita in the lurch.
Ms. Amita, however, is in no mood to relent. “Amethi is my family and my home and I cannot leave it...I will contest from here,” she said.
Garima Singh is the niece of former Prime Minister V.P. Singh and is a descendant of the royal family of Daiya and enjoys fair amount of support of local residents. — PTI