Battle for UP: From backroom boys to aspiring MLAs

They are children of political leaders, who have served as quintessential backroom boys when their parents contested the elections. Now these backroom boys are yearning to take to the centre stage of UP politics by contesting elections and their parents are lobbying for their tickets.

Neeraj Singh, the younger son of Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, had managed the campaign of his father along with a dedicated team of workers in 2014 and 2019.

Neeraj is now aspiring for a ticket for himself from Lucknow while his elder brother Pankaj is already seeking re-election from his Noida seat.

Lobbying for Neeraj is being done very discreetly in Delhi.

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BJP MP Rita Bahuguna Joshi has been very vocally lobbying for a ticket for her son Mayank Joshi, who had managed her campaign in the 2017 Assembly polls and then the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. He gave up his job in the UK to help his mother in her political career.

Rita Bahuguan Joshi is wanting the Lucknow Cantt seat that she won in 2017 for Mayank and has even offered to quit her Lok Sabha seat if the 'one family, one ticket' rule applies in the party.

Aditya Yadav, son of Shivpal Singh Yadav, is another son who is aspiring for an electoral debut in these elections.

Shivpal Singh Yadav is contesting his Jaswantnagar seat and Aditya is eyeing another seat.

The normally reticent Aditya Yadav is slowly taking the centre stage in politics. Apart from managing his father's campaign, he is also meeting party workers from all over the state and addressing issues related to the party.

SP sources said that Akhilesh Yadav is averse to fielding family members in these elections in order to demolish the nepotism charge and Aditya may finally not get a ticket.

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BJP MP Jagdambika Pal is also trying for a ticket for his son Abhishek Pal from Siddhartha Nagar district while BJP MP Kaushal Kishore is another father aspiring for a ticket for his sons, Vikas and Ayush, from rural constituencies of Lucknow.

At least two Governors, Kalraj Mishra of Rajasthan and Phagu Chauhan of Bihar, are also trying for tickets for their sons.

Kalraj Mishra wants his son Amit Mishra to contest from his home district Deoria and Phagu Chauhan wants a ticket for his son Ram Vilas Chauhan from Mau.

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BJP MP Satyadev Pachauri is seeking a ticket for his son Anup Pachauri from Govind Nagar seat in Kanpur while Speaker Hriday Narain Dixit wants to field his son Dilip Dixit from Purwa seat in Unnao district.

Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Maurya is also said to be keen on a ticket for his son who has been active in politics since the past two years.

Talking to IANS, a senior party leader said: "It is natural for parents to seek tickets for their children. Most of the leaders who are seeking tickets for their children, are past their prime and want their children to get established in politics. However, the party does not wish to become a dynastic destination like other parties and will think twice before giving tickets."

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