Raja Bhaiya to launch Janshakti Party in Lucknow today; Kunda strongman to contest 2019 polls on anti-Dalit plank

Six-time Independent MLA Raghuraj Pratap Singh, alias Raja Bhaiya, on Friday will formally launch his Janshankti Party at Ramabai ground in Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow city. The event, which his supporters are calling the ‘Raja Bhaiya Rajat Jayanti Abhinandan Samaaroh’ also marks Singh’s 25 years in politics.

A special train, along with several buses and cars, has been booked to ferry supporters to the city, News18  reported. A notice board was also been put up at Garhi Manikpur Railway Station in Pratapgarh district with the special train’s schedule, where people traveled free of cost to Lucknow to witness the launch of the new party, the news agency reported. The train was scheduled to arrive at 11.25 am today.

In addition, Raja Bhaiya’s supporters are expected to arrive at the venue wearing T-shirts with the MLA’s face printed in the front, the report said.

A cultural programme has also been organised at the rally ground where movie stars, dancers and singers will perform. The event is expected to have over one lakh attendees.

Who is Raja Bhaiya?

A scion of the royal Bhadri estate, Raja Bhaiya was a minister in the Kalyan Singh, Ram Prakash Gupta and Rajnath Singh governments. He represents Kunda constituency in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly. He is known as ‘Toofan’ Singh and Raghubir Singh in the area.

Singh acquired the name Raja Bhaiya after an  incident in 1995 in Dilerganj village in Pratapgarh district, according a report in News18 .

Over 20 houses were set ablaze in the village and three Muslim girls raped and brutally murdered. Additionally, a Muslim boy was tied to a vehicle and dragged around the village. The fire tender returned without doing their job and reported that there was no water available to douse the fire — the nearest water body was only 100 metres away from the burning houses, the report said. The incident led Raja Bhaiya to be feared in the state.

According to News18, Raja Bhaiya served in BJP’s Kalyan Singh government in 1997 and again was a minister in Ram Prakash Gupta and Rajnath Singh’s cabinet in 1999 and 2000.

The Uttar Pradesh legislator has several cases (48, according to PTI) against him including charges of attempt to murder, abduction, corruption and dacoity — and has even been in jail on criminal charges, the report said.

After Mayawati took over as the chief minister in 2002, she slapped the stringent provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) against him. He was arrested on 2 November, 2002 along with his father, Uday Pratap Singh, and cousin, Akshay Pratap Singh, on charges of kidnapping and issuing threats. He was later declared a terrorist by the state government.

However, in 2003, all charges against him were dropped within minutes of the Mulayam Singh Yadav taking over as the chief minister. He became a minister in the Mulayam Singh government and was given the food and supply portfolio.

Raja Bhaiya was also arrested in 2010, for allegedly threatening a panchayat poll candidate in Uttar Pradesh. He was released on bail in early 2011 following an Allahabad court order.

The local strongman was appointed as the state’s prisons minister in the Akhilesh Yadav-led government in 2013. His portfolio was changed to food and civil supplies following a Cabinet reshuffle in 2013.

He, however, had to resign in 2013 after the murder of deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Zia-ul-Haq in Kunda, and was re-inducted after the CBI cleared him in the case.

What is his party promising?

While announcing the party on 16 November , Raja Bhaiya said that among the issues that his party will raise, is the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, which he said has “draconian provisions”. He said that his party will also contest the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

The apparent reference was to provisions related to immediate arrests under the Act, which were diluted by the Supreme Court but later restored through a Bill in the Parliament.

“Going by the fundamental principle of equality, whether it is a heinous crime like rape or murder, Dalits are being treated differently and given compensation by the government while the general public and the upper castes are left out,” he said.

“If they have availed of reservation in one generation and now belong to the creamy layer, they should allow the benefits to be passed on to others from their community,” he was quoted as saying by Times Now.

Singh said the party will also oppose reservation in promotion on the basis of caste. “It should be on the basis of capability,” he said_._ “This is our clear stand.”

Electoral prospects

Before he announced the Janshakti Party, there were speculations that he might support or contest the Lok Sabha election in alliance with the BJP. He even met Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on 23 October, which fuelled the rumours further.

However, with his anti-Dalit political ideology, it remains to be seen whether the BJP will form an alliance with him, The Times of India reported. He has already walked out of the Samajwadi Party (SP) fold, and has always been inimical to the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) as well.

After floating his political party, Raja Bhaiya will join the league of leaders such as Om Prakash Rajbhar, Anupriya Patel and Shivpal Yadav, who all have their own political outfits. In the upcoming elections, his electoral performance will not only be judged by his another victory in Kunda, but also by how many MLAs or MPs win on his party’s ticket.

However, his anti-Dalit motto stands to hamper his electoral prospects.

With inputs from PTI