AMU VC Tariq Mansoor, Nripendra Misra's son nominated UP MLC

Lucknow: Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) Vice Chancellor Tariq Mansoor and Ram temple construction committee chairman Nripendra Misra's son Saket Misra were on Monday nominated as members of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council.

According to a notification issued by Chandrashekhar, Special Secretary, Government of Uttar Pradesh late on Monday night, the Governor has nominated a total of six persons as MLCs against eight vacancies.

The other four names are: Ambedkar Mahasabha chairman Lalji Prasad Nirmal, former BJP Braj region unit head Rajnikant Maheshwari, chief of BJP's Varanasi district unit Hansraj Vishwakarma, and Ramsurat Rajbhar, who hails from Azamgarh.

According to UP Legislative Council officials, the Governor can nominate up to 10 members to the upper House.

Sources in the BJP and in the Chief Minister's Office said that Saket Misra, son of Nripendra Misra, who also formerly served as principal secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had in 2019 sought a BJP ticket from Shravasti parliamentary constituency, but it was given to Daddan Mishra who lost to BSP's Ram Shiromani Verma.

Nripendra Misra is currently the chairman of the temple construction committee of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.

At present, in the 100-member UP Legislative Council, the BJP enjoys a brute strength of 74 members, while the principal opposition the Samajwadi Party has nine members.

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Apna Dal (Sonelal), Nirbal Indian Shoshit Hamara Aam Dal (NISHAD), Jansatta Dal Loktantrik and Shikshak Dal (non-political) have one member each.

The independent group and the independents have two members each. There were eight vacant seats of which six have been filled leaving two seats vacant.

AMU VC Tariq Mansoor served as the Principal of Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital.

According to BJP leaders, Saket Misra is an investment banker, policy contributor and an advisor to the Poorvanchal Vikas Board. He is an alumnus of Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta and St Stephen's College.

The names of Lalji Nirmal (a Dalit) and Rajnikant Maheshwari (who hails from the trader community) also figure in the list.

Maheshwari was replaced by Durvvijay Singh Shakya as the chief UP BJP's Braj region on March 25.

OBC leaders -- Hansraj Vishwakarma, who is the district president of the BJP's Varanasi unit since 2016, and Ramsurat Rajbhar -- also figure in the list.

Rajbhar had contested the 2022 UP Assembly elections from Phoolpur Pawai in Azamgarh district, but had lost to Samajwadi Party's Ramakant Yadav.