BJP MLA's Confrontation with Minister Reveals Legacy of Political Theatrics
The recent standoff between BJP Charkhari MLA Brij Bhushan Rajput and Jal Shakti minister Swatantra Dev Singh over the lack of civic amenities in Mahoba district of Bundelkhand was not an isolated incident. Political analysts suggest that Rajput has inherited the art of political theatrics from his father, former MP Ganga Charan Rajput, marking a pattern of dramatic public actions throughout his career.
A History of Dramatic Protests
Brij Bhushan Rajput, 43, first gained national attention during his tenure with the Congress party. In a highly publicized event, he put a gun to his head and threatened to shoot himself if then AICC chief Sonia Gandhi did not accept the Prime Minister's post after the 2004 Lok Sabha elections. This early act set the tone for his confrontational style.
In 2014, as a 31-year-old leader of the Bundelkhand Adhikar Sena, a pressure group, Rajput led hundreds of supporters in laying siege to the residence of then Congress MP and Union MoS for Rural Development, Pradeep Aditya Jain. The protest targeted the UPA government's alleged failure to ensure adequate power and drinking water supply in the drought-prone Bundelkhand region. Lathi-wielding protesters camped outside Jain's residence for five hours, withdrawing only after the minister promised to escalate the issue to the highest possible level.
Recent Confrontation and Allegations
A decade later, now a two-time BJP MLA from Charkhari, Rajput returned to his characteristic methods last week. He blocked the convoy of Jal Shakti minister Swatantra Dev Singh, accusing the government of gross neglect in maintaining village roads dug up for laying pipelines under the Har Ghar Nal scheme. Rajput also alleged corruption in the implementation of this scheme, which aims to provide drinking water to every household in Bundelkhand.
"I had been highlighting the issue for the past two years. I raised questions in the Assembly and even wrote to the minister several times. My appeals are yet to be addressed. I did what I was supposed to. The ball is now in the government's court," Rajput told TOI. When confronted, Minister Singh asked Rajput to meet him in the office, but the MLA insisted on resolving the matter on the spot.
Viral Video and Political Background
In a viral video following the Mahoba incident, Rajput boasted to supporters: "You have seen me as an MLA... check my history... holding someone hostage is no big deal for me... earlier, we used to make officers who didn't do their work wear bangles and petticoats." He added that he only began exercising restraint after joining the BJP in 2016.
Rajput, a Lodh community member, secured the BJP ticket from Charkhari in the 2017 Assembly elections, replacing senior party member Uma Bharti. He won by defeating SP's Urmila Devi by 44,000 votes and retained the seat in 2022, defeating SP's Ram Jivan by 40,000 votes.
His father, Ganga Charan Rajput, was a three-term Lok Sabha MP from Hamirpur—serving on Janata Dal ticket in 1989 and BJP tickets in 1996 and 1998—and a one-time Rajya Sabha MP on a BSP ticket. He later joined the Congress and has since returned to the BJP, illustrating a family tradition of party-hopping and political maneuvering.
BJP's Response and Internal Tensions
The Mahoba incident has deeply embarrassed the BJP. UP BJP sources revealed that state general secretary (organisation) Dharam Pal Singh called Rajput to express reservations about his conduct, urging him to exercise restraint and adhere to party rules. A senior UP BJP functionary criticized Rajput's actions as muscle flexing aimed at cornering a party minister, stating, "Such conduct only gives feelers to the opposition, which is reprehensible."
Furthermore, TOI has learned that UP BJP chief Pankaj Chaudhary has issued a show cause notice to Rajput, seeking an explanation for his statements on social media about BJP leaders. In the viral video, Rajput questioned why he should speak to ministers in their rooms rather than on the road, underscoring his unyielding approach.
This episode not only highlights Rajput's persistent use of dramatic tactics but also exposes internal party tensions, as the BJP grapples with balancing grassroots activism against disciplinary decorum in Uttar Pradesh politics.
