The Aryavarth Express
Agency(Uttar Pradesh): In a strategic move within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Jitin Prasada, currently serving as a Minister in Uttar Pradesh, was announced as the party’s new candidate from the Pilibhit constituency, taking over from Varun Gandhi. On Wednesday, Prasada officially submitted his nomination documents, a process witnessed by BJP MLAs from Pilibhit’s four assembly segments—Sanjay Gangwar, Baburam Paswan, Vivek Verma, and Swami Prakhashanand—who also acted as endorsers for his candidacy.
Varun Gandhi’s absence during the nomination event sparked curiosity, with local party leaders remaining silent on the matter. Saroj Kumar Bajpai, Prasada’s legal advisor, detailed the filing process to PTI, noting that Prasada lodged his nomination in Hindi across four sets of documents with the District Election Officer, disclosing his assets to be around Rs 15 crore.
Prasada, before embarking on the formalities of his nomination, sought blessings at the Yashwanti Devi temple in Pilibhit. Post-prayer, he rallied support at an electoral gathering held within the temple’s vicinity. Asserting his confidence in securing the seat, Prasada expressed his gratitude towards the BJP’s national and state leadership for entrusting him with the candidacy. He pledged to contribute towards strengthening Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s governance by clinching a victory in Pilibhit, a constituency that has been under BJP’s control over the past four Lok Sabha terms with Varun Gandhi as the sitting MP.
The transition marks a significant moment in Prasada’s political journey, who initially entered the Lok Sabha in 2004 as a Congress representative from the Shahjahanpur constituency. He secured another victory in 2009 from Dhaurahara and was subsequently appointed as a Union minister in the Congress-led government. This nomination signifies Prasada’s full integration into the BJP framework and highlights the evolving political dynamics within the party as it prepares for the forthcoming electoral battles.