Who is Dinesh Pratap Singh, BJP's Raebareli contender against Rahul Gandhi

A BJP MLC in Uttar Pradesh, Dinesh Pratap Singh switched from the Congress in 2018 after being suspended over alleged misbehaviour

With the announcement that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will contest from Raebareli in the Lok Sabha elections, attention has turned to BJP candidate Dinesh Pratap Singh.

57-year-old Singh, a minister in the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh, has been nominated by the BJP to contest from Raebareli for the second consecutive time.

Singh was with the Indian National Congress and switched to the BJP in 2018. He has been a member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council since 2010, winning elections as a Congress member and then as the BJP’s nominee.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Singh contested against Sonia Gandhi from Raebareli and lost in the Congress stronghold by nearly 160,000 votes, despite receiving 38 percent of the total votes, the highest among all BJP candidates in Raebareli's history.

Dinesh Pratap Singh’s stint with Congress

Dinesh Pratap Singh has a varied political history spanning different parties. He began his political journey with the Samajwadi Party in 2004 and later contested elections under various party flags, including the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Congress.

Singh joined the Indian National Congress and was elected as a member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council in 2010 and 2016.

Once considered close to Rahul, Sonia and Priyanka Gandhi, Singh was indefinitely suspended from the Congress’ primary membership in 2017. He was reportedly accused of misbehaving with the general secretary of the Raebareli Congress committee and other local party leaders.

The notice accused Singh of assaulting Manoj Paswan, the then general secretary of the district Congress committee. Following the suspension, he joined the BJP in 2018.

BJP’s faith in DP Singh’s grassroots connection in Raebareli

With Sonia Gandhi opting out of the Lok Sabha polls and securing a Rajya Sabha seat from Rajasthan, Rahul Gandhi's candidacy has introduced a new dynamic to the electoral scenario.

The filing of nominations in Raebareli will end on May 3, and the Congress party is yet to announce its candidate for the prestigious seat.

The BJP is relying on Singh's association with the constituency to bolster its campaign. Singh's contributions to the BJP's success in District Panchayat elections, along with his three-time election to the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council, underscore his importance in the party.

Reports suggest Singh's active engagement with various segments of the electorate, earning support from local BJP organisational units.

The BJP has finalised its candidates for all 75 seats it is contesting in Uttar Pradesh. However, its ally, Apna Dal (Soneylal), is yet to announce its candidate for Robertsganj, currently represented by its sitting MP Pakauri Lal Kol.

Raebareli is scheduled to go to polls on May 20, 2024, in the fifth phase of the seven-phase general elections. The filing of nominations concludes on May 3.