Amid BJP's dithering, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh jumps into election 'ring'; Booked for MCC violation

An FIR has been filed against Singh and others for violating the Model Code of Conduct, with the sources stating that Singh led a procession without permission, breaching Section 144.

Lucknow: Even as the BJP, apparently fearing criticism, continued to wrestle over re-nominating him in the wake of allegations of ''sexually assaulting'' some female wrestlers, former president of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh has kicked off his election campaign in Kaiserganj Lok Sabha constituency from where he is the sitting MP.

An FIR has been lodged against Singh and some others in connection with violation of the Model Code of Conduct, according to the police sources here on Thursday. Sources said that Singh, in violation of section 144, took out a procession with scores of vehicles and hundreds of his supporters in the constituency without obtaining prior permission.

BJP, which has declared its candidates on 69 seats in the state, has so far not announced its candidates from five seats, including Kaiserganj.

According to the state BJP leaders here, the party had offered to replace Singh with his son or some other family member, but he remained adamant on contesting the election from Kaiserganj.

Sources said that Singh had recently travelled to Delhi and met senior BJP leaders there. ''Don't worry... I will contest from Kaiserganj,'' Singh told his supporters, who had gathered at the Ayodhya airport to welcome him as he returned from the national capital.

Singh was accorded a rousing reception at dozens of places in Kaiserganj and he also held roadshows to drive home the message among his supporters that he was still in the poll ring.

The two local BJP legislators Premnarayan Pandey and Ajay Singh, however, kept away from the events saying that they did not have any "instruction" from the party leadership about Singh's candidature. One of the MLAs Subhash Tripathi attended the event in indication of Singh's clout in the party.

The state BJP leaders here said that the party had not declared its candidate from Kaiserganj and that Singh should not have launched his election campaign. The state leadership knows that it has very little control over the 'dabang' (muscleman) politician.

A senior state BJP leader, preferring anonymity, admitted that Singh, who was known to speak his mind even if it was against the party leadership or the BJP government in the state, would take it lying down if denied re-nomination.

In the past he had sharply criticised his own government when floods had hit several eastern and central districts in the state, including Gonda, Baharaich, Ayodhya and some other districts. ''The people have been left on the mercy of the god,'' he had then remarked.

BJP leadership was also aware of the fact that Singh, was not originally a BJP worker, had his own support base in Gonda, Baharaich, Balrampur, Shravasti and Ayodhya districts and was not dependent on it to win elections.

Singh had earlier represented Balrampur and Gonda Lok Sabha seats as well. He had also got his wife Ketki Singh elected to Lok Sabha when he was in jail under TADA in 1996. His son Prateek Vardhan Singh is also an MLA.