Nothing wrong in giving ticket to rape-accused Sengar's wife for UP local body poll: BJP MP

NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP and its Chief Whip in the Rajya Sabha Shiv Pratap Shukla strongly supported the decision of the Uttar Pradesh state unit to give a ticket to former party MLA Kuldeep Sengar's wife Sangeeta Sengar.

Kuldeep Sengar was convicted in the rape case and is currently lodged in Jail.

Speaking to ANI, Shukla said: "I think Kuldeep Sengar's wife has been given a ticket by UP BJP after a discussion. I believe that Kuldeep Sengar's wife has been the chairperson of the Zilla Panchayat Unnao. If she has popularity then she should not be overlooked because she is the wife of a convict."

Chief Whip of BJP in Rajya Sabha further said, "Kuldeep Sengar is in jail today for what he has done but why should his be punished for his crimes?"

The BJP on Thursday declared its list of panchayat poll candidates that included the name of Sangeeta Sengar, wife of former BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar who was convicted in a rape case. Sengar's Assembly membership was cancelled after his conviction.

Sangeeta, who is the outgoing Zila Panchayat chairperson of Unnao, has been given a ticket from Fatehpur Chaurasi Tritaya seat for the Zila Panchayat member. Names of 51 candidates were released for different Zila Panchayat wards in Unnao.

Sangeeta had become the Zila Panchayat chairman from Unnao district in 2016. At that time, panchayat elections were not contested on political party symbols. But this time, local body election of UP will be held on political parties symbols.