BJP withdraws Sangeeta Sengar’s candidature

Fearing social condemnation, the Uttar Pradesh unit of Bharatiya Janata Party withdrew the candidature of Sangeeta Sengar, wife of suspended BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar who is serving life imprisonment for rape in Unnao, following opposition from the victim’s family.

For the Unnao district panchayat election, the BJP had announced Sangeeta Sengar as its candidate from ward number 22, Fatehpur Chaurasi.

Sangeeta is the outgoing chairperson of Unnao district panchayat.
A senior BJP leader said that the party had decided to change its candidate after the rape victim’s family opposed it. The opposition parties had also questioned the wisdom of the BJP in fielding the wife of a tainted leader in the panchayat election as its candidate.

“The name of the new candidate will be announced soon,” the leader said.
Panchayat elections in Unnao district will be held in the third phase for which the nomination process will start from April 13.

Meanwhile, BJP State President Swatantra Dev Singh has accepted the resignation of party’s secretary Ashok Jatav and other leaders as their family members have shown willingness to contest the panchayat election.
In-charge of panchayat election, Vijay Bahadur Pathak, said here on Sunday that the party had a policy that if office-bearers or their family members contested panchayat elections they would have to resign the party post.
“In view of this many leaders resigned from the party posts today,” he said.