Party leaders say Mishra used to be an office-bearer in the BJP’s Lakhimpur Kheri unit earlier, before winning as an MLA from the Nighasan Assembly segment of Lakhimpur Kheri constituency in 2012.
A TWO-TERM MP from Lakhimpur Kheri, Ajay Mishra (Teni), 61, was the lone Brahmin face from Uttar Pradesh to be inducted into the Narendra Modi government in the recent Cabinet reshuffle.
Ahead of the UP polls where every party is fighting for the Brahmin vote — especially the BJP, that is fighting allegations of anti-Brahmin bias in the state — Mishra was inducted into the crucial Home Ministry as Minister of State.
Party leaders say Mishra used to be an office-bearer in the BJP’s Lakhimpur Kheri unit earlier, before winning as an MLA from the Nighasan Assembly segment of Lakhimpur Kheri constituency in 2012.
The first time he became an MP was in 2014, winning by 1 lakh votes over his nearest rival, belonging to the BSP. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, he doubled his victory margin, to over 2 lakh votes, against an SP candidate.
His son Ashish, alleged to have been travelling in one of the two SUVs involved in the Lakhimpur Kheri incident, was reportedly eyeing a ticket from the Nighasan seat in the coming Assembly polls. A businessman, Ashish has been participating in political functions lately and also managing the work of his father.
Every year, Mishra organises a sports festival in his native village Banveerpur in Nighasan.
On Sunday, UP Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya was to be chief guest at the function. It was to coincide with his visit that farmers had announced a protest.
Source: Read Full Article
