News India

In a surprising turn of events for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Uttam Maurya, the son of former minister Swami Prasad Maurya, has filed his nomination papers for the Kushinagar Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh. This move sets the stage for a unique electoral showdown between father and son.

Uttam Maurya, running as an independent candidate, submitted his nomination at the Collectorate, marking his official entry into the electoral race. Notably, his father, Swami Prasad Maurya, had previously filed his nomination on May 9 as the candidate for his party, the Rashtriya Shoshit Samaj Party (RSP). However, with Uttam joining the fray independently, the father-son duo will now directly compete for the same seat.

Swami Prasad Maurya has long sought to establish a political footing for his son, who has previously contested assembly elections twice from the Unchahar seat in UP but faced defeat on both occasions by narrow margins. Despite his efforts, Swami Prasad Maurya's son was not granted a ticket by the Samajwadi Party (SP) during the 2022 assembly elections, prompting Maurya's departure from the party and the subsequent formation of the Rashtriya Shoshit Samaj Party.

Following the creation of his new political entity, Swami Prasad Maurya extended his support to the India Alliance for the Lok Sabha elections, hoping to secure the alliance's candidacy for the Kushinagar seat. However, when this did not materialize, Maurya opted to run as a candidate from his own party.

Observers speculate that Uttam Maurya's candidacy serves as a contingency plan, ensuring that Swami Prasad Maurya remains in the electoral fray even if his own nomination is invalidated for any reason. This maneuver underscores the Maurya family's determination to maintain a presence in the political arena despite the complexities and challenges involved.