Kashi mayors fail to continue in politics: Analysts

Varanasi: Since 1995, BJP has been maintaining monopoly in the Kashi’s mayoral election. However, except Kaushalendra Singh Patel no other mayor of Kashi could continue in politics. He too, even after getting a chance to contest Lok Sabha by-election from Phulpur in 2018, failed to win.
“Call it as a coincidence or a myth but the record of Kashi’s mayoral election is sufficient to make it clear that after becoming mayor most of dignitaries or politicians could not continue in politics”, said political analysts mentioning, “Only one of former mayors- Kaushalendra Singh Patel could manage to get BJP ticket to contest LS by-poll. But, he could not win.” Kaushalendra is currently a member of National Commission for Backward Classes.

History of mayoral election had started with formation of Nagar Mahapalika in 1960 when corporators used to elect mayor called as Nagar Pramukh. It was not mandatory for a person to be the member of Mahapalika to contest election. Between 1960 and 1994 local dignitaries including Kunj Bihari Gupta, Brijpal Das, Shyam Mohan Agrawal, Saryu Prasad Dwivedi, Puranchandra Pathak and Mohd Swaleh Ansari held this office. From February 1966 to July 1970 and from July 1973 till February 1989 the Mahapalika remained under administration. In ‘90s Varanasi Nagar Mahapalika was upgraded to VMC and the name of mayor was converted from Nagar Pramukh to Mahapaur. Process of mayor’s election was also changed. In the first election through this process BJP’s Saroj Singh emerged victorious in 1995. After her BJP fielded former UP minister late Amaarnath Yadav. 1976 born Kaushalendra became youngest mayor in 2006 while after him BJP fielded Ramgopal Mohaley in 2012 and he also won the election for the party. BJP’s Mridula Jaiswal won in 2017.