Lok Sabha Elections 2024 : Allahabad BJP candidate Neeraj Tripathi banks on development, father's goodwill

Prayagraj: BJP candidate Neeraj Tripathi says if he is elected as Lok Sabha representative from Allahabad, the revival of industries, improvement of health care facilities and education in rural areas would be among his priorities.

Son of BJP leader and former West Bengal Governor late Kesari Nath Tripathi, 57-year-old Neeraj Tripathi was named as the saffron party's Allahabad candidate in April, replacing outgoing MP Rita Bahuguna Joshi. BJP's Shyama Charan Gupta had won the seat in 2014.

Earlier, Tripathi served as the additional advocate general for the Uttar Pradesh government.

People close to the family told PTI that until his nomination was made official, Tripathi never appeared keen about politics notwithstanding the reverence his father got across party lines as a political luminary from Allahabad.

His only passion was jurisprudence and playing cricket besides socialising with the who's who of the region where due to his father, who passed away in 2023, he continues to enjoy goodwill, they said.

Over the last month, Tripathi, who faces a stiff challenge from I.N.D.I.A. bloc candidate Ujjwal Raman Singh of the Congress, has been campaigning in and around Allahabad to garner support.

Allahabad constituency falls in Prayagraj district and goes to polls on May 25. The seat has 18,25,730 registered voters. A part of Prayagraj district comes under the Phulpur constituency.

Tripathi said he believes in 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Prayas, and Sabka Samman' and is reaching out to the people of Allahabad with development as the key focus.

"If elected as MP, industrial development in the Naini area of Allahabad would be my top priority. There are several industrial units which are non-functional at the moment and I would try to get them restarted whilst also trying to get new industrial units and improving basic facilities in the area," Tripathi told PTI.

"I travel to far-off places in Prayagraj district and have healthcare and school facilities in my mind. It's also my wish to have an AIIMS un Prayagraj and I will work towards it," he added.

Asked about his decision to take the electoral plunge, he said his family has been in politics and his source of inspiration are his father and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"I say this everywhere that if you want to work for the society then you need to reach out to the people with a clear conscience and this is a quality of my father that inspired me."

"Secondly, I am very impressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and he is also a source of inspiration for me. When I go out, I tell the people that I have come to work for development," he said.

Tripathi said every sector has its own problems but the implementation of the schemes of the central government is visible on the ground.

"As I have said, there are problems like roads or water or irrigation in some interior parts of the district and I take note of all of them. I would work to have them resolved", he said.

On the Opposition's pitch of inflation and unemployment as poll issues, he said when he meets people on the ground these all appear to be 'non-issues'.

"As far as the I.N.D.I. alliance is concerned, this alliance has nothing to do with the people. This alliance is dangerous for democracy because this is just an alliance of families."

"You take any party, the Congress is a party of brother and sister, the Samajwadi Party is Akhilesh Yadav's party, it's the Yadav family's party, the RJD is Lalu Yadav family party", Tripathi claimed.

''Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Samman, and Sabka Vishwas is not just our mantra but it's our commitment. We work for the society, we work for the people of this country and the biggest thing is we do not have 'parivarvad' (nepotism)", the late BJP leader's son said.

The father of Tripathi's main rival Ujjwal Singh is veteran Samajwadi Party leader and two-term Allahabad Lok Sabha MP Rewati Raman Singh.

Asked about political observers seeing the election in Allahabad as a fight between two political legacies, Tripathi said there his family has been influencing people through good work and not "goondagardi".

"Influence is of two types. One which you create through your work, your style to win the hearts of the people and then people respect you genuinely. The second is when you engage in goondagardi and pressurise people, do politics of encroachment, then people are afraid to face you but behind your back, they do something else", he said.

"So, there is a major difference between my father (Kesari Nath Tripathi) and him (Rewati Raman Singh)," Tripathi said.

The BJP candidate said he has the backing of old-time BJP and RSS supporters due to the goodwill and legacy of his father.

"My father has always been accessible to the people, the doors of my house have always been open for them. You may be surprised to know that he served three times as the speaker of the Vidhan Sabha and as the chairman of the Vidhan Sabha. He served as the governor of West Bengal and took responsibility for some other states as well," Tripathi said.

"Even in his last days, he would himself attend all calls and reply to messages that he received on his phone. In case he missed a call, he would make sure to call the person back and it was never his PA who would do this."

"This is the legacy that I want to take forward. Under no condition would I let my father's name get tarnished", he added.