UP polls: Denied BJP ticket, couple says okay with party decision

Denied ticket from the Sarojini Nagar assembly constituency, Uttar Pradesh minister Swati Singh and her husband and state BJP vice-president Dayashankar Singh on Wednesday reposed faith in the party leadership, saying they will ensure victory of the nominee chosen by it.

The Sarojini Nagar assembly constituency in Lucknow hit the headlines recently due to a tussle for the party ticket between the husband-wife duo.

The BJP, however, denied both of them and has nominated former Enforcement Directorate (ED) officer Rajrajeshwar Singh from the seat.

Reacting to the development, Dayashankar Singh said he accepted the party's decision and would wholeheartedly campaign for Rajrajeshwar Singh to ensure his victory.

Speaking to PTI, he said, ''The party gave the ticket to the candidate it saw as the most suitable. Rajrajeshwar Singh has been a very good police officer. He unveiled scams worth thousands of crores, and despite that, there were no accusations on him.'' Asked how he felt about the party denying nomination to his wife and minister Swati Singh, the Uttar Pradesh BJP vice-president said, ''Swati (Singh) was made a party candidate after the ticket of another person was given to her. She won the elections, and was made a minister in the Yogi Adityanath government.'' ''This time, the party leadership must have found some shortcoming, and hence her ticket was cut. In the BJP, no one is special, their work is. The party has fielded the right candidate from the seat. It found Rajrajeshwar as the appropriate candidate. There is nothing to feel happy or sad about this,'' he added.

On being asked that he too was in the ticket race from Sarojini Nagar, Dayashankar Singh said, ''The party has assigned a number of districts to me. I will work to ensure the party candidates' victory, and help the BJP form the government in the state.'' ''I am a dedicated worker of the BJP, and contesting elections depends on the party leadership. If the party tells me to contest from any other seat, I will do that, otherwise I will work for the party as a soldier,'' the BJP leader said.

Speaking to reporters, state minister Swati Singh said, ''The vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the party's top leadership is very big. Their vision is to take the state and the country forward. I have been associated with this family (BJP) since I was in class 12 and 17 years old. They had given me a responsibility for five years, and I hope that I have proved myself in that regard.'' ''I thank them for giving me the opportunity. I will discharge the responsibilities assigned to me. I represent half the population, and will continue to do so,'' she added.

''I have been with the BJP, and will remain there. Whatever task is assigned by the party, I will work on it with dedication,'' the minister asserted.

On whether she will campaign for Rajrajeshwar Singh, Swati Singh said whatever work is given to her by the party, she would do it with full honesty.

An Indian Police Service officer who was on deputation in the ED, Rajrajeshwar Singh recently took VRS from service to take the plunge into politics.

''I thank the party for giving me the ticket. I will take the ideology of the BJP ahead, and the ideology of the BJP is the future of the country. In the coming days, I will assist Yogi Adityanath ji in the action he has initiated against the mafia, and control communalism,'' he said.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)