Bhim Army chief Chandra Shekhar Azad may contest Lok Sabha poll from UP’s Nagina

Chandra Shekhar Azad, founder of Bhim Army, likely to contest maiden Lok Sabha election in Uttar Pradesh. Talks on to accommodate him in SP-RLD-INC alliance. Azad to contest from Nagina, a reserved seat held by BSP. Azad's Azad Samaj Party holds nine district council seats.

Chandra Shekhar Azad, the founder of the Bhim Army, is likely to contest his maiden Lok Sabha election in Uttar Pradesh. 

According to sources, talks are on to accommodate him in the proposed Samajwadi Party (SP)-Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD)-Indian National Congress alliance under the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) aegis for the 2024 general elections.

Mr. Azad who hails from Ghadkhauli village of Saharanpur, Western Uttar Pradesh will contest from Nagina, a reserved Lok Sabha seat that is currently held by Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Girish Chandra. 

“Yes, of course, I will be fighting the Lok Sabha elections. For the last nine years, the Bhim Army has led people’s struggles, but without a presence in the legislatures, we feel that we reached a roadblock. Vote is after all the strongest weapon in the hand of the common man. And we want them to wield it, to replace the current political class, who show their faces only during the elections,” he told The Hindu.

The selection of Nagina Lok Sabha seat is significant. Before the delimitation, a large portion of it fell in the Bijnor Lok Sabha seat. Several national Dalit leaders including Mayawati, Ram Vilas Paswan and Meira Kumar have contested from the seat in the past, including the famous 1985 show down between the three, which Ms. Kumar won and Paswan was the runner up.

The Azad Samaj Party currently holds nine district council seats and has a significant presence in the State. If SP agrees to back Mr. Azad, his electoral prospects will brighten, since the seat has close to 35% Muslim population. To stake a claim and to signal the beginning of his campaign Mr. Azad will be holding a public meeting here on October 9. 

In the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly Election, Mr. Azad contested against BJP leader Yogi Adityanath from Gorakhpur Urban and lost his deposit. Sources said that RLD chief Jayant Singh is pushing for Mr. Azad and trying to convince ally SP to concede at least one seat to him.