The BJP brass fielded its Mahila Morcha chief Swati Singh, who had dared BSP chief Mayawati, from Sarojini Nagar - a segment the outskirts of lucknow. She is the wife of BJP leader Dayashanker Singh who was expelled from the party for making unsavoury comment on Mayawati. 

“There was a demand from BJP workers that Swati Singh be given ticket. So the leadership has decided to field her from Sarojini Nagar segment,” said BJP general secretary Vijay Bahadur Pathak in lucknow on Monday.

Pathak said that though no formal announcement has been made so far in this regard by state chief Keshav Prasad Maurya, but Swati Singh has been asked to go ahead. “Swati has already the papers and will file nomination on Tuesday,” he said.

“I am very hopeful that people will support me. My face is not new. People now know about me and how and why I entered politics,” a hopeful Swati said.

A native of Ballia, Swati agreed to contest from Sarojini Nagar seat - a constituency that the BJP had never won. Sharda Pratap Shukla of Samajwadi Party is the sitting MlA from this constituency.

After her husband was arrested for making derogatory remarks against Mayawati in July, Swati Singh vociefrously countered BSP leaders, who during a protest, made objectionable remarks about her minor daughter and other female members of her family. 

Swati single-handedly led the campaign against BSP leaders like leader of Opposition in legislative Council Naseemuddin Siddiqui and state BSP chief Ram Achal Rajbhar for making the abhorring remarks.  

Her campaign forced Mayawati to tone down her offensive against the BJP. A section of BJP leaders had also campaigned that Swati be given a party ticket for the Assembly polls.