Congress pits Mukesh Dhangar against Hema Malini in Mathura
For the last few days, boxer Vijender Singh’s name was doing rounds as the Congress’ nominee from Mathura. But in a huge blow to the grand old party,Singh joined the BJP
AGRA The Congress on Wednesday declared Mukesh Dhangar as its candidate from the prestigious Mathura Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh. He will be up against sitting BJP MP Hema Malini.
Thursday (April 4) is the last day for filing nominations for two major parliamentary seats of Braj - Mathura and Aligarh - going to polls in the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections.
The name of Congress (SP–Congress alliance) candidate was awaited all through Wednesday, but late in the evening, Dhangar was declared as candidate for Congress from Mathura, according to an AICC press release declaring candidates for Mathura and Sitapur.
The party replaced Nakul Dubey with Rakesh Rathore as candidate from the Sitapur Lok Sabha constituency.
For the last few days, boxer Vijender Singh’s name was doing rounds as the Congress’ nominee from Mathura. But in a huge blow to the grand old party, Singh joined the BJP on Wednesday, said office-bearers. He had contested the 2019 Lok Sabha election from South Delhi constituency as a Congress candidate.
Addressing a joint press conference with BJP leaders at the party headquarters in New Delhi, Singh praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that the respect for Indian sportspersons has increased in the country and abroad since the BJP came to power at the Centre.
The BJP had already declared Hema Malini as its candidate from Mathura for the third time in its first list last month. The BJP MP prayed at Vishram Ghat on the bank of Yamuna on Wednesday, a day before filing her nomination papers. She told the media that she would leave no stone unturned in ensuring that the river is cleaned.
Meanwhile, the third list of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) stated that Suresh Singh, a Jat and retired IRS officer, was going to be the candidate from Mathura instead of journalist-cum-lawyer, Kamal Kant Upmanyu, a Brahmin, who was earlier named as candidate.
The BSP announced a change in Aligarh too. “Hitendra Kumar alias Bunty Upadhyay is now the candidate for BSP. His name found mention in the third list released by the party on Wednesday,” said Mukesh Chandra, district president of BSP in Aligarh.
Earlier, former district president of AIMIM, Gufran Noor, was named BSP candidate from Aligarh. However, he suffered a heart attack, according to Chandra.
On Wednesday, SP candidate Chaudhary Bijendra Singh filed his nomination for Aligarh while BJP MP Satish Gautam had already filed nomination on Monday.