Assembly elections: In UP, parties bank on student leaders

Lucknow: With an eye of youth votes, political parties have fielded a large number of former student leaders in the ongoing Assembly elections.

The youth and student wings of various political parties have joined the campaigns of these former student leaders and are working to ensure their victory.

Former president of the Allahabad University Students’ Union (AUSU), Richa Singh, who was the first woman president to be elected as an independent, is now contesting the Allahabad West seat as a Samajwadi Party candidate and all youth and frontal wings of the party are working to ensure her victory.

“I have the full support of the party’s youth wings and they are helping me in the campaign,” says Ms Richa.

Another former AUSU president Hemant Kumar Tunnu is the SP candidate from Manjhanpur seat.

Anugrah Narain Singh, a former AUSU president, is the Congress candidate from the Allahabad North seat. He can be termed a veteran since he is already a four-term MLA. “Those who come in from student politics, are more receptive to the voters and their aspirations. This is why university politics is said to be the training ground for politicians,” he says.

Another Congress MLA, seeking re-election, is Vivek Singh from Banda who has his roots in student politics in Allahabad University.

Lucknow University has the maximum contribution in UP politics. SP minister Arvind Singh Gope who is seeking fourth term in the state Assembly, is a former president of the Lucknow University Students Union. 

Brijesh Pathak, former BSP MP and now the BJP candidate from Lucknow Central, is also a former LUSU president. Former LUSU president Shailesh Kumar Singh Singh ‘Shailu’ is now the BJP candidate from Gainsadi seat in Balrampur.

Former UP minister and senior SP leader Om Prakash Singh is a former general secretary of the Banaras Hindu University. A former MP and four-term MLA, he is seeking his fifth term on a SP ticket. Swati Singh, BJP candidate form Sarojini Nagar seat in Lucknow, has also been active in student politics.

A senior SP leader explains, “When we field a student leader, we are assured of support from the youth, particularly those who belong to his university. The camaraderie among student gives a boost to their candidature.” 

She is married to former LUSU president Daya Shankar Singh. Dhananjay Singh, who is contesting as an independent from Jaunpur and Tej Narain Pandey and Abhay Singh, the SP candidates from Ayodhya and Gosainganj seats in Faizabad,were active in student politics and it was their background that allowed them an easy entry into mainstream politics.