In UP, don’s wife wards off BJP in MLC polls

LUCKNOW: Despite its win in the Uttar Pradesh legislative council polls, BJP failed to end the monopoly of jailed mafia don

Brijesh Singh

’s family on the Varanasi seat. His wife Annapurna won in a one sided contest, becoming an

MLC

for the second time. She secured 4,234 votes to defeat SP’s Umesh Yadav who bagged 345 votes. BJP candidate

Sudama Patel

, who got 170 votes, finished third.

Brijesh’s family has been winning the seat since 1998. He himself had won the seat in 2016.

Vikrant Singh ‘Rishu’ won the Azamgarh-Mau seat, defeating BJP candidate Arun Kant Yadav by a comfortable margin. Vikrant received 4,075 votes, while Arun got 1,262 votes. Vikrant is the son of sitting BJP MLC Yashwant Singh who was expelled a week ago for ‘antiparty activities’.

In the 100-member House, there are now four independents and two members of Shikshak Dal. Besides, Congress, Apna Dal (S), Nishad Party and Jansatta Dal (Loktantrik) have one member each. There are three vacant seats. After the win, chief minister Yogi Adityanath congratulated the winning MLCs.
BJP’s Ram Chandra Pradhan won in Lucknow-Unnao, fetching 3,488 votes. Newly appointed minister Dinesh Pratap Singh scored a hat-trick in Rae Bareli.