PRAYAGRAJ A day after Amar Nath Maurya filed his papers from Allahabad West assembly seat as a Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate, another party member Richa Singh filed her nomination from the same seat on Tuesday. Amar Nath Maurya, who had filed his papers on Monday, filed another set on Tuesday.
Richa Singh, the former and first woman president of Allahabad University Students’ Union (AUSU), had unsuccessfully contested from the same seat in 2017 UP polls against sitting Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) MLA and UP cabinet minister Sidharth Nath Singh.
“My party’s national president Akhilesh Yadav called me up yesterday night (February 7) and asked me to file the nomination. I have followed the party’s instructions,” claimed Richa Singh.
On being asked about Amar Nath Maurya too filing his papers from the same seat, Richa said, “We are loyal to the SP and both Maurya and I will follow the party’s command.”
District unit SP president Yogesh Chandra Yadav, however, said he was not aware of the fact that Richa had filed her nomination as an SP candidate. He also added that none of the party’s senior leaders had informed him that Richa would be the party candidate.
Maurya, a close associate of Swami Prasad Maurya was earlier in the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), along with Swami Prasad Maurya later switched loyalty to the BJP when Swami Prasad was with the ruling party of the state. Swami Prasad Maurya recently joined the SP.
On the other hand, Richa, after losing to Sidharth Nath Singh in 2017, had been working hard at the ground level from Allahabad West seat. In 2017 assembly elections, she had polled 60,182 votes (30.54%) against 85,518 (43.4%) polled by Singh. Two-time MLA from the seat, Pooja Pal of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) had stood third.
Richa was the president of AUSU in 2015 from Samajwadi Chatra Sabha—the student wing of the Samajwadi Party. Richa likened Sidharth Nath Singh to a student with “short attendance” as he, according to her, was seen in the constituency only when elections came. She also claimed that he will lose his seat this time.
Allahabad West is the same seat which was represented by former MP and Mafioso-turned politician Atiq Ahmad who won the seat five times in a row: Three times in 1989, 1991 and 1993 as an independent candidate and in 1996 from the SP and in 2002 from the Apna Dal (Sonelal).
AFFIDAVIT DETAILS OF RICHA SINGH
Candidate’s Name: Richa Singh
Seat/District: Allahabad West/Prayagraj
Party: SP
Age: 35
Profession: Social and political work
Qualification: DPhil
Candidate’s Assets: ₹37,72,356 (Self: ₹37,72,356, Husband/Dependents: NA)
Immovable assets: ₹00.00
Movable assets: ₹37,72,356 (Self: ₹37,72,356)
Criminal Cases: 16
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