The Samajwadi Party has changed its Varanasi Lok Sabha candidate and has now decided to field Tej Bahadur Yadav, the Border Security Force constable who was sacked in 2017 for making videos of poor food served to troops, ANI reported. Varanasi is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s constituency.
Yadav had in March said he would contest the election as an independent candidate against Modi. The former jawan had said he took the decision because he wants to eliminate corruption in the forces. “I had raised the issue of corruption but I was sacked,” Yadav had said then.
The Samajwadi Party had earlier named Shalini Yadav as its candidate from Varanasi.
Yadav’s January 2017 video, about the watery dal and burnt rotis served to soldiers, was viewed more than 70 lakh times after it was shared on social media, prompting the Prime Minister’s Office to ask for a report. Yadav was dismissed after a court of inquiry found him guilty on charges of indiscipline for going public with his grievances.
In January 2018, Yadav’s son was found dead at his family home in Haryana.
Modi had contested and won from Varanasi during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, securing 5.81 lakh votes. Ajay Rai is the Congress candidate from Varanasi.
Polling in the constituency is scheduled for May 19. The results will be announced on May 23.
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