2024 polls: Triangular Battle turns UP's Jaunpur Lok Sabha Seat into Political Hotspot

In the Lok Sabha Elections of 2024, Jaunpur, going to polls on May 25, has become the “Mirzapur” of UP’s political web series. With the entry of three prominent figures into the election fray, the atmosphere has heated up. 

The electoral battle in Jaunpur, which looked like a direct contest between BJP's Kripa Shankar Singh and Samajwadi Party's Babu Singh Kushwaha, has now transformed into a three-way competition following the candidature of Srikala Reddy Singh. Srikala, the wife of jailed politician and strongman Dhananjay Singh, is contesting on a BSP ticket.

Jaunpur Lok Sabha Constituency, one of the 80 parliamentary constituencies in Uttar Pradesh, is currently held by BSP's Shyam Singh Yadav. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Yadav secured 50.08% of the votes, winning by a margin of 500,543 votes over Krishna Pratap Singh of the BJP.

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It is a General category parliament seat. SC voters at Jaunpur Parliamentary seat are approximately 380,745, which is around 20.4%, as per the 2011 census. ST voters at Jaunpur parliament seat are approximately 1,866, which is around 0.1%, as per the 2011 census.

As voters head to the polls, let’s delve into the historical context, key players, and the impact of past results on this electoral battleground.

Babu Singh Kushwaha

Babu Singh Kushwaha, a former Minister in the BSP government, is a skilled organizer who had a strong presence in every part of Uttar Pradesh. Kushwaha got entangled in the NRHM scam and is facing serious allegations. After being briefly associated with the BJP, his wife contested elections from Ghazipur on an SP ticket and lost. Now, Kushwaha has his own party, the Jan Adhikar Party, and is contesting from Jaunpur on the Samajwadi Party ticket. With a significant number of Maurya/Kushwaha/Yadav and Muslim votes, Babu Singh Kushwaha claims to be strong in the field.

Kripa Shankar Singh

Kripa Shankar Singh, former state minister of Maharashtra and former Congress leader, close associate of the Gandhi family, was embroiled in corruption cases. Gradually, he found relief from allegations. On the other hand, he joined the BJP and is emerging as a strong contender with economic and political strength. In Jaunpur, every other person seems to have a Mumbai connection. Kripa Shankar Singh is accelerating his campaign, banking on the Modi-Yogi name for his identity to reach Parliament.

Srikala Reddy Singh

Srikala Reddy Singh, currently the District Panchayat President and the wife of former MP and strongman Dhananjay Singh, Srikala Reddy Singh is connected to the political landscape of South India. After Dhananjay Singh's conviction by the court, there was a sympathy wave in favour of Kala for a ticket from the Samajwadi Party. But after not getting a ticket from SP, she is now fighting on a BSP ticket. Her entry into the electoral foray has ensued a triangular battle in Jaunpur.

Jaunpur district comprises two parliamentary constituencies: Jaunpur and Machhlishahr. The Jaunpur parliamentary constituency includes five legislative assembly constituencies: Badlapur, Shahganj, Jaunpur, Malhani, and Mungra Badshahpur. With a total population of over 44 lakh based on the 2011 census, Jaunpur has witnessed intense political contests over the years.

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Past Battles

The Congress party kickstarted its winning streak from Jaunpur, but its victory dates back to 1984. In 1962, the Jan Sangh’s Brahmajit emerged victorious. The BJP secured its first win in 1989 with Raja Yaghuvendra Datta. However, the Janata Dal snatched the seat from the BJP in 1991. The BJP regained Jaunpur in 1996, leading to a bipartisan fight between the BJP and the Samajwadi Party (SP) since then. The pattern was disrupted in 2009 when the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) emerged victorious. In 2014, the BJP reclaimed the seat.

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2019 Result

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BSP wrested the Jaunpur seat from the BJP. BSP’s Shyam Singh Yadav secured victory with 5,21,128 votes, while BJP’s candidate Krishna Pratap Singh came second with 4,40,192 votes. The margin of victory was 80,936 votes.

2014 Victory

In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, 21 candidates contested from the Jaunpur parliamentary seat. Krishna Pratap Singh emerged as the winner, defeating Subhash Pande of the Bahujan Samaj Party. Krishna won by a substantial margin of 1,46,310 votes."

With the Lok Sabha elections advancing into the second phase, all eyes are on the Jaunpur Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh. Political analysts are eagerly anticipating the outcome, on June 4.