New Delhi, Feb 15 (PTI) Former Law Minister Ashwani Kumar on Tuesday resigned from the Congress, ending his 46-year-long association with the grand old party.Kumar sent his resignation to Congress President Sonia Gandhi this morning, saying he can best serve national causes outside the party fold. The resignation comes close on the heels of another party leader R P N Singh quitting the Congress.

Ashwani Kumar resigns from Congress

Congress

NewDelhi

SoniaGandhi

RPNSingh

Sammya Mukhopadhyay

Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India

Swami Prasad Maurya, the senior OBC leader who quit the BJP and joined Samajwadi Party (SP) barely months before the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, was presumed to create a tectonic shift in the state’s political landscape. Now, the former minister is leaving his stronghold to go fight a seat the BJP has won twice consecutively. ,The Samajwadi Party announced Tuesday that Maurya will be fielded from Fazilnagar in Kushinagar district. The 68-year-old high-profile OBC leader, who pledged to turn UP’s political tide while jumping ship, is moving away from Padrauna for one critical reason — RPN Singh, political observers say. Also Read | Swami Prasad Maurya, OBC leader who jumped ship to SP, to contest from Fazilnagar,Ranjit Pratap Narain Singh, the BJP’s candidate from Padrauna is a member of Padrauna’s royal family. A critical member of the Congress in UP until recently, RPN Singh was said to be close to Rahul Gandhi. ,The BJP believes that RPN Singh will be able to steer a section of the OBC vote towards them. Singh has won the Padrauna constituency thrice — 1996 to 2009. In 2009, he had in fact defeated the very same Swamy Prasad Maurya. ,Political observers in Uttar Pradesh say Swamy Prasad Maurya is not going up against RPN Singh because he does not wish to lose the perception battle prior to the elections. Singh, although being cast as a giant-slayer, has lost a considerable section of his voters over the last two elections. RPN Singh’s vote share dropped from 17% to 8% during this time, local media reports claim. ,Nevertheless, Maurya’s decision to steer clear of Padrauna for Fazilnagar holds immense political significance. While walking out of the BJP, Maurya had said that he had attempted to work with the Yogi Adityanath-led government despite having “opposite ideologies” but was miffed with the BJP government’s attitude towards Dalits and other backward classes. ,His exit was made out to be a clear sign of the BJP losing a bit of control in UP, however, Maurya’s decision now shows that it remains as difficult as ever to call the polls in India’s biggest state, that often serves as a bellwether for national politics. ,The 403-seat Uttar Pradesh Assembly goes to polls in seven phases starting February 10. Results will be announced on March 10.

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<ul>
 <li>Samajwadi Party has fielded Swamy Prasad Maurya from Fazilnagar</li>
 <li>Maurya was a representative from Padrauna&nbsp;</li>
 <li>BJP is fielding RPN Singh from Padrauna</li>
</ul>

Opoyi Central

UP Elections 2022: Why is Swami Prasad Maurya quitting Padrauna stronghold for Fazilnagar

UPAssemblyElection

UPElection2022

UPElection

AssemblyElections

SwamiPrasadMaurya

SamajwadiParty

Politics

news

India

Swami Prasad Maurya, the senior OBC leader who jumped ship from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to the Samajwadi Party (SP) recently, will be contesting the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections from Fazilnagar in the Kushinagar district. The move is a signal of political currents as Maurya, who made tall claims when he joined the SP, is moving away from his traditional stronghold of Padrauna. Pundits and local media observe that Maurya's decision to move away from Padrauna is an attempt to counter anti-incumbency. There's also an opinion that SP Maurya decided to steer clear of Padrauna when he learnt that RPN Singh will be contesting the seat from the BJP. ,Also Read | UP elections 2022: Its Chandrashekhar Azad vs Yogi Adityanath In Gorakhpur,RPN Singh, a senior Congress leader until recently, joined the BJP a few days ago. Singh is believed to be a formidable leader and someone who has already defeated SP Maurya once, in 2009. ,RPN Singh is a member of Padrauna’s royal family. He has been a representative for the constituency thrice — 1996 to 2009. However, Singh’s political fortunes saw a slump over the last two elections in which he suffered humiliating defeats. His vote share reportedly dropped from 17% to 8%. ,Political observers say Maurya has decided to move away from Padrauna because he does not wish to lose the perception battle before the elections. Maurya has won the Padrauna seat twice, once in 2012 and again in 2017. ,Also Read | Mulayam Singh Yadav 'counseled' Aparna to not leave SP: Akhilesh Yadav,However, Maurya’s move to Fazilnagar is not without challenges. The BJP is strong in this Kushinagar constituency having won the last two elections here. ,The BJP is fielding Surendra Singh Kushwaha, the son of senior leader Ganga Singh Kushwaha, against SP Maurya. In 2012, Ganga Singh won the Fazilnagar seat for the BJP despite an SP wave across the state. ,Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party has announced Pallavi Patel as its candidate from Sirathu in Kushinagar. Patel will be up against UP Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya.

{\"time\":1643787069435,\"strCount\":2846,\"blocks\":[{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Swami Prasad Maurya, the senior OBC leader who jumped ship from\\nthe <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/uttar-pradesh-assembly-elections-2022-its-chandrashekhar-azad-vs-yogi-adityanath-in-gorakhpur\\\">Bharatiya Janata Party</a> (BJP) to the <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/english/uttar-pradesh-assembly-elections-2022-akhilesh-yadav-slams-yogi-adityanath-govt-says-farmers-have-rejected\\\">Samajwadi Party</a> (SP) recently, will be\\ncontesting the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections from Fazilnagar in the\\nKushinagar district.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The move is a signal of\\npolitical currents as Maurya, who made tall claims when he joined the SP, is\\nmoving away from his traditional stronghold of Padrauna.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Pundits and local media observe\\nthat Maurya's decision to move away from Padrauna is an attempt to counter\\nanti-incumbency. There's also an opinion that SP Maurya decided to steer clear\\nof Padrauna when he learnt that RPN Singh will be contesting the seat from the\\nBJP.&nbsp;\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Also Read |&nbsp;<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/uttar-pradesh-assembly-elections-2022-its-chandrashekhar-azad-vs-yogi-adityanath-in-gorakhpur\\\">UP elections 2022: Its Chandrashekhar Azad vs Yogi Adityanath In Gorakhpur</a>\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/english/who-is-rpn-singh\\\">RPN Singh</a>, a senior <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/english/up-assembly-elections-2022-congress-leader-rpn-singh-resigns-from-party-amid-bjp-links\\\">Congress\\nleader</a> until recently, joined the BJP a few days ago. Singh is believed to be a\\nformidable leader and someone who has already defeated SP Maurya once, in\\n2009.&nbsp;\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"RPN Singh is a member of Padrauna’s royal family. He has been a\\nrepresentative for the constituency thrice — 1996 to 2009. However, Singh’s\\npolitical fortunes saw a slump over the last two elections in which he suffered\\nhumiliating defeats. His vote share reportedly dropped from 17% to 8%. \"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Political observers say\\nMaurya has decided to move away from Padrauna because he does not wish to lose\\nthe perception battle before the elections. Maurya has won the Padrauna seat\\ntwice, once in 2012 and again in 2017.&nbsp;&nbsp;\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Also Read |&nbsp;<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/aparna-yadav-was-counseled-by-mulayam-singh-yadav-to-not-leave-samajwadi-party-akhilesh-yadav\\\">Mulayam Singh Yadav 'counseled' Aparna to not leave SP: Akhilesh Yadav</a>\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"However, Maurya’s move to Fazilnagar is not without challenges.\\nThe BJP is strong in this Kushinagar constituency having won the last two\\nelections here. \"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The BJP is fielding Surendra Singh Kushwaha, the son of senior\\nleader Ganga Singh Kushwaha, against SP Maurya. In 2012, Ganga Singh won the\\nFazilnagar seat for the BJP despite an SP wave across the state. \"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party has announced Pallavi Patel as its\\ncandidate from Sirathu in Kushinagar. Patel will be up against UP Deputy Chief\\nMinister Keshav Prasad Maurya. \"}}]}

<ul>
 <li>Maurya was an MLA from Padrauna</li>
 <li>RPN Singh, BJP’s answer to turncoats, will contest from Padrauna</li>
 <li>SP Maurya had lost to RPN Singh in 2009</li>
</ul>

Swami Prasad Maurya, OBC leader who jumped ship to SP, to contest from Fazilnagar

Politicsnews

Lucknow, Jan 26 (PTI) Taking a dig at former union minister RPN Singh for quitting the party, Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu on Wednesday said only those willing to fight for the people will stay in the “new Congress”. “He is a ‘raja-maharaja’. He did not like a poor man like me being the state president of the Congress and perhaps this is the reason why he quit the party,” Lallu told reporters here. “This is the new Congress wherein only those who struggle will survive. Thousands of workers gathered with Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to fight for relief from issues pertaining to the common people of Uttar Pradesh. They faced sticks, went to jail and faced trial. I, too, was jailed several times. But, RPN Singh was never even seen in protests,” Lallu said. Quelling rumours on his exit from the party, Lallu said, “Every drop of my blood is indebted to the Congress party… I will remain a soldier of Rahul Gandhi till my last breath.” Recalling an incident from 2013 to target Singh, Lallu said the police had brutally beaten up a Congress worker. When he protested against the police action, Singh pressured him to stay mum, but he said he did not. Continuing his tirade against Singh, Lallu said when he was detained by the police for staging a protest in support of sugarcane farmers, Singh neither visited him in jail nor opposed his detention. Former union minister of state for home, Singh left the Congress and joined the BJP on Tuesday, just a day after he featured in the Congress list of 30 star campaigners for the first phase of elections in Uttar Pradesh.

Only those willing to struggle will survive in 'new Congress', says UPCC chief

RahulGandhi

Jaipur, Jan 26 (PTI) Congress is a movement having a history of 135 years and some leaders leaving the party does not make any difference, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said on Wednesday. All those leaders who are leaving or joining the Congress are welcome and there should not be much discussion on this, he said while interacting with reporters on the occasion of 73rd Republic Day. He also alleged that there is an atmosphere of unrest, tension and mistrust in the country and all the central government agencies are working under pressure. Just weeks ahead of Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, Congress leader RPN Singh quit the party on Tuesday and joined the BJP, in a setback to the grand old party, which is already facing an existential crisis in the state. Reacting on the issue, Gehlot said, Congress is such a big organization. Congress is like a movement in the country, it has a long history of 135 years, it is like a sea. In this, many big people left and they had to come back in the party and history is witness. Gehlot said that the Congress party has its own aura and it is the only party in the country which will be found in every house in every village of the country.It doesn't matter if someone leaves or join the party. Those who leave are also welcome and those who join are also welcome. Rajasthan chief minister said that Republic Day brings a new enthusiasm, new zeal for us every year. Republic Day gives time to take a resolution that in the coming times, we should strengthen the Constitution. He said, Today, whether it is Constitution,... democracy, such an environment has been created that we do not know what will happen in the coming times. There is a pressure on all the agencies, whether it is judiciary or other agencies in the country. There is an atmosphere of unrest, an atmosphere of mistrust, an atmosphere of tension. He said, 'We say again and again that there should be love, brotherhood and harmony amongst ourselves, countrymen, people of all religions, all castes, so that we can become stronger. On the bill stopping land auction of farmers who could not pay bank loans, pending at Raj Bhavan, Gehlot said that on the basis of the name of the law, the Raj Bhavan said that it is not pending with it. We have amended the Civil Procedure Code in the Assembly and the Bill has been sent to the Governor, so that land up to five acres is not attached or auction, the CM said. He further said, Name of the bill may be different but it has been passed in the Assembly and it is on the record. Raj Bhavan also knows it.

It doesn't matter if someone leaves or join the Congress: Gehlot

AshokGehlot

uttar

Lucknow, Jan 25 (PTI) Padrauna Congress candidate Manish Jaiswal on Tuesday resigned from the party, just hours after former Union minister R P N Singh switched sides and joined the BJP. Kushinagar Congress president Rajkumar Singh also quit the party. R P N Singh earlier represented the Padrauna constituency in the state Assembly. Speaking to PTI, Rajkumar Singh said, I tendered my resignation from the Congress since there was no respect for R P N Singh in the party. Singh added that he is mulling to join the BJP. The former district unit chief of the Congress also informed that party candidate from Padrauna Manish Jaiswal has also resigned from the party. Congress leader R P N Singh on Tuesday joined the BJP in the presence of the saffron party's Uttar Pradesh in-charge and Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan. R P N Singh is the second big exit from the Congress in Uttar Pradesh after Jitin Prasada quit it last year. Prasada joined the BJP and later became a minister in the Yogi Adityanath government. Singh was also the in-charge for Jharkhand affairs of the Congress, where the party is in power along with the JMM. He has earlier represented the Padrauna assembly constituency and had defeated Swami Prasad Maurya from Kushinagar in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls. Singh was on Monday included in the Congress list of 30 star campaigners for the first phase of elections in Uttar Pradesh.

UP polls: Padrauna Congress candidate quits party

Union

RajKumarSingh

New Delhi, Jan 25 (PTI) Just weeks ahead of Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, Congress leader RPN Singh quit the party on Tuesday and joined the BJP, in a setback to the grand old party, which is already battling for its existence in the state.Singh, who was named as a star campaigner on Monday by the Congress for the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, posted his resignation to party chief Sonia Gandhi on Twitter with a caption Today, at a time, we are celebrating the formation of our great Republic, I begin a new chapter in my political journey. Jai Hind. A former Union minister in the UPA II government, the 57-year-old leader joined the BJP at the party headquarters here, evoking a sharp reaction from Congress leaders, including spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said, who called him a coward.Singh was also the Congress in charge for Jharkhand, where the party is in power along with the JMM.Though Singh was not considered a pan-UP leader and his exit may have a limited impact on the election prospects of the Congress in the upcoming polls, politically his quitting is significant as he was considered close to Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi.His exit also does not bode well for the Congress, which is seeking to revive itself in Uttar Pradesh, where it has remained out of power for three decades and only managed seven seats in the 403-member state assembly in 2017.By bringing in Singh, a kurmi leader, an OBC in eastern Uttar Pradesh, the BJP is also seeking to neutralise the effect of OBC leader Swami Prasad Mourya's exit from the party.There is also speculation that the BJP may field Singh from Padrauna, the assembly seat he represented thrice from 1996 to 2007. He later resigned from the assembly and contested Lok Sabha polls.Singh, also a scion of the royal family from Padrauna, had defeated Maurya from Kushinagar in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls. However, Singh lost both the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Kushinagar. The Congress has been losing its young leaders to the BJP, especially those considered close to Rahul Gandhi. Singh is the second big exit from the Congress in Uttar Pradesh after Jitin Prasada, who quit last year. Prasada joined the BJP and later became a minister in the Yogi Adityanath government.Shortly after he tweeted his resignation, Singh further said, this is a new beginning for me and I look forward to my contribution to nation-building under the visionary leadership & guidance of the Honourable Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi, BJP president Shri @JPNadda ji & Honourable Home Minister @AmitShah ji. He joined the saffron party in the presence of BJP's Uttar Pradesh in-charge and Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan and two deputy chief ministers in the state.After joining the BJP, Singh said the Congress is not the same party where he worked for 32 long years and wants to contribute to the nation's development while reposing faith in Prime Minister Modi.Later, Singh also posted My motto India, First, Always as his description on his Twitter page.Sharply reacting to his departure from the Congress, Shrinate said, to fight this battle for truth and ideals, one needs strength and courage and cowards can't fight this battle. Echoing similar sentiments, another Congress spokesperson Gourav Vallabh said Singh was ''not fully committed towards the party's ideology and that is why he left this fight midway to join the saffron party.Besides Pradhan, Jyotiraditya Scindia, who quit the Congress to join the BJP and is a Union minister, was also present at the ceremony to induct Singh.Singh became youth Congress President of Uttar Pradesh in 1997 and AICC Secretary in 2003. He was elected to Lok Sabha in 2009.Several Congress leaders including some of its MLAs have quit the grand old party in the recent past. These include a big Muslim leader Imran Masood from western Uttar Pradesh. The face of the Congress campaign for women 'Ladki hoon, Lad Sakti hoon' in UP assembly election Priyanka Maurya has also quit the party.

RPN Singh quits Congress, joins BJP ahead of UP polls

LokSabha

Lucknow, Jan 25 (PTI) Congress national spokesperson Supriya Shrinate here on Tuesday described as “cowardice” anyone quitting the party to join the BJP, referring to former Union minister R P N Singh, who switched sides on Tuesday. Singh is the second big exit from the Congress in Uttar Pradesh after Jitin Prasada quit the party last year. Prasada joined the BJP and later became a minister in the Yogi Adityanath government. Reacting to Singh joining the BJP, Shrinate said, The battle, which the Congress is fighting, is a difficult one and it can be fought with courage and bravery. The Congress is fighting this battle against the BJP government, its arrogance, agency and capitalism. This is a battle for truth. Our party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has said this battle cannot be fought with cowardice. Hence, whosoever is going, we are praying for their bright future, she said. In a statement issued by the UP Congress, she said the battle of the Congress against the BJP is that of ideology, principles and truth. I don't think that any person after staying in the Congress can go to a party, which is of the complete opposite ideology. Maybe this is what Priyankaji calls cowardice. The Congress has been fighting this battle and it will move ahead, Shrinate added. She further said the BJP is staring at an electoral loss as people of the state and the country are fed up with its policies. The day is not far when people of the state and the country will vote them out, said Shrinate. Reacting to the statement of Shrinate, UP BJP spokesperson Manish Shukla told PTI, The Congress has become a party of 'ek beta, ek maai (one son, one mother)', 'ek beti, ek ghar jamai' (one daughter, one son-in-law).” “Any leader who remains at the feet of these people (members of the Gandhi family) will survive. But, a leader who is deep-rooted and has love for the country and the state, cannot stay with the Congress, he said. R P N Singh joined the BJP in the presence of Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Singh was in-charge for the Jharkhand affairs at the AICC. He earlier represented the Padrauna Assembly constituency and had defeated Swami Prasad Maurya from Kushinagar in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls. Singh was on Monday included in the Congress list of 30 star campaigners for the first phase of elections in Uttar Pradesh.

Quitting Cong to join BJP act of cowardice: Shrinate

JitinPrasada

PriyankaGandhiVadra

Aman Butani

RPN Singh, now a former member of the Congress party, has joined the Bharatiya Janata Party as assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh near. Once a prominent Congress politician, Ratanjit Pratap Narain Singh is likely to contest the February elections from the Padrauna and will challenge Swami Prasad Maurya, who quit the BJP earlier this month, according to various media reports. Also Read: UP elections 2022: Priyanka Gandhi hints at being Congress CM candidate,Who is RPN Singh?,Often called a loyalist for his party, RPN Singh served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly from the Padrauna constituency in Uttar Pradesh between 1996 and 2009. He belongs to the royal family of Padrauna. He later became a Member of Parliament in the 15th Lok Sabha elections. However, he was defeated by BJP’s Rajesh Pandey in the next polls and entered a two-term slump in 2014 and 2019. The 57-year-old politician has held several key positions in his time with the Congress party. These include the Secretary of All India Congress Committee; Minister of State in Road, Transport and Highways; Petroleum and Natural Gas; Corporate Affairs and Home Affairs. RPN Singh, whose father CPN Singh was also a politician from the same constituency, is a part of Padrauna's royal family. Also Read: UP elections 2022: Priyanka Gandhi's campaign face Priyanka Maurya joins BJP,While announcing his exit from the Congress party on Tuesday, RPN Singh wrote in a social media post, This is a new beginning for me and I look forward to my contribution to nation building under the visionary leadership & guidance of the Honourable Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi, BJP President Shri @JPNadda ji & Honourable Home Minister @AmitShah ji. ,In a separate tweet, which carried a photo of resignation letter to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, RPN Singh wrote, Today, at a time, we are celebrating the formation of our great Republic, I begin a new chapter in my political journey. Jai Hind.

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<ul>
 <li>RPN Singh joined BJP on Tuesday afternoon</li>
 <li>He lost two successive elections in 2014 and 2019</li>
 <li>RPN Singh became an MP in the 15th Lok Sabha elections</li>
</ul>

Who is RPN Singh?

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New Delhi, Jan 25 (PTI) Congress leader RPN Singh on Tuesday joined the BJP in the presence of the saffron party's Uttar Pradesh in-charge and Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan.Singh is the second big exit from the Congress in Uttar Pradesh after Jitin Prasada quit it last year. Prasada joined the BJP and later became a minister in the Yogi Adityanath government.This is a new beginning for me and I look forward to my contribution to nation building under the visionary leadership & guidance of the Honourable Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi, BJP president Shri @JPNadda ji & Honourable Home Minister @AmitShah ji, Singh, a former Union minister, had tweeted before his joining.Besides Pradhan, Jyotiraditya Scindia, who quit the Congress to join the BJP and is a Union minister, was also present for Singh's joining in ceremony.Singh was also the in-charge for Jharkhand affairs of the Congress, where the party is in power along with the JMM.He has earlier represented the Padrauna assembly constituency and had defeated Swami Prasad Maurya from Kushinagar in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls.Singh was on Monday included in the Congress list of 30 star campaigners for the first phase of elections in Uttar Pradesh.

Congress leader and former Union minister RPN Singh joins BJP

UttarPradesh

Shubham Banerjee

New Delhi, Delhi, India

Senior Congress leader RPN Singh on Tuesday resigned from the party and joined the BJP ahead of the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. ,The former Union Minister said in a tweet that it was a new beginning for him and that he looked forward to my contribution in nation building under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president JP Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah. ,Earlier today, Singh said he is starting a new chapter in my political life as he resigned in a big blow for the Congress ahead of the crucial UP assembly polls. ,I hereby tender my resignation from the primary membership of the Congress party with immediate effect I thank you for providing me an opportunity to serve the nation, the people and the party, he said in his resignation letter to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi. ,Also Read | UP elections 2022: Mayawati releases second list of BSP candidates,Singh, who belongs to the erstwhile royal family of Padrauna, was among the 30 star campaigners the Congress had announced Monday for the first phase of the elections. ,The 57-year-old dropped Congress from Twitter bio, which now reads My motto India,First, Always. He earlier had AICC in-charge in the bio. ,Singh, one of the Congress' key leaders in Uttar Pradesh, was the party's Jharkhand in-charge. He was an MP from Kushinahar and has served as Union Minister of State for Home Affairs. Also Read | UP elections 2022: Priyanka Gandhi hints at being Congress CM candidate,Singh is likely to contest the upcoming UP assembly elections from his stronghold of Padrauna, the constituency from where he was elected as an MLA three times, according to an NDTV report. ,Swami Prasad Maurya, who recently left the BJP to join the Samajwadi Party, has been fielded from Padrauna. ,He represented the constituency from 1996 to 2009. He was elected as MP from the seat in 2009, but lost to BJP's Rajesh Pandey in 2014. ,His exit will come as a big blow to the Congress' aspirations in the assembly polls, with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra leading the party's campaign in the state. ,This is the second senior Congress leader in Uttar Pradesh to leave the party, after Jitin Prasada quit last year. Prasada, who was a close aide of Rahul Gandhi, joined the BJP and was made a cabinet minister in the Yogi Adityanath-led government.

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<ul>
 <li>"Today, when the entire nation is celebrating Republic Day, I am starting a new chapter in my political life," RPN Singh tweeted</li>
 <li>The former Union Minister was Congress' Jharkhand in-charge</li>
 <li>RPN Singh was a MLA from Uttar Pradesh's Padrauna</li>
</ul>

#RPNSingh