Acquitted Ex-BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh Expected to Return to Active Politics Under BJP Banner

Three years after six women wrestlers accused him of sexual harassment, the acquittal of former BJP MP and Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in the case is expected to pave the way for the strongman from eastern Uttar Pradesh to return to active politics under the BJP banner. At a “sneh milan” programme in Noida Tuesday, posters featuring Singh and his two sons — Kaiserganj MP Karan Bhushan Singh and Gonda MLA Prateek Bhushan Singh — carried the slogan, “satya ki jeet hui (the truth has triumphed)”. Brij Bhushan later travelled from New Delhi to Vrindavan in a cavalcade of luxury vehicles displaying stickers that read “Satyamev Jayate”. A rally with the same name has also been planned for August 7 in the Nandini Nagar area of Gonda district, where the former MP is expected to showcase his political strength. Supporters from across Uttar Pradesh have been invited, along with local BJP MLAs and leaders. “He was denied a BJP ticket in 2024 because of the sexual harassment allegations. Now that the court has acquitted him, he is legally in the clear and may seek the BJP ticket for the 2029 Lok Sabha election instead of his son. The party, too, will have little hesitation in fielding him again or sending him to campaign elsewhere,” said a senior BJP leader, adding that the party could also take Brij Bhushan’s recommendations into account while selecting candidates for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. The allegations against Brij Bhushan had triggered one of the biggest protests by Indian sportspersons in recent years. In 2023, some of the country’s top wrestlers, including Olympic medallists and world championship winners, staged a months-long protest in Delhi, demanding his arrest and removal from the WFI. The protest drew national attention and put the BJP under sustained political pressure. The Delhi Police later filed a chargesheet against him after the Supreme Court intervened to ensure that FIRs were registered. A close aide of Brij Bhushan said the former MP will be in the fray in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. “He will certainly contest the 2029 election. The final decision rests with the BJP central leadership. Politically, his position has become stronger after the acquittal. Everyone in the BJP believed he was innocent. We were only waiting for the court’s verdict,” he said. Another senior BJP leader said, “He (Brij Bhushan) continues to wield considerable influence in Kaiserganj and neighbouring Lok Sabha constituencies like Shravasti, Basti and Ayodhya in UP. He cannot be ignored.” The six-time MP — elected five times on a BJP ticket and once as a Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate — remains one of the most influential political figures in eastern Uttar Pradesh. However, after the sexual harassment allegations triggered nationwide criticism, the BJP replaced him with his younger son Karan Bhushan Singh as its candidate from the Kaiserganj Lok Sabha seat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Karan won his maiden election by 1.48 lakh votes. In 2019, Brij Bhushan had retained the seat by 2.61 lakh votes. The BJP fielded his son but maintained a distance from Singh amid concerns that the allegations could hurt the party electorally. He was not deployed for campaigning in constituencies outside Kaiserganj. During the 2024 Lok Sabha poll campaign, Singh canvassed only for his son, repeatedly telling voters that he was in “sankat (trouble)” and that Karan’s victory would be “a slap on the face” of those trying to end his political career. Notably, no prominent BJP central leader campaigned for Karan. Sources in the BJP said that despite being an influential leader, Brij Bhushan was largely kept away from organisational meetings and party programmes since the allegations against him surfaced. Local BJP leaders, however, defended the move, saying Brij Bhushan was no longer an MP. “His two sons were invited because one is an MP and the other an MLA,” a party leader said. A leader added that local BJP workers continued to approach Brij Bhushan for help in resolving grievances even after he ceased to be an MP, and that he remained accessible. In the 2022 Assembly elections and earlier polls, Brij Bhushan campaigned extensively for BJP candidates across eastern Uttar Pradesh. After his confidant Sanjay Singh was elected WFI president in December 2023, Brij Bhushan had declared: “Dabdaba to hai, dabdaba to rahega. Yeh to bhagwan ne de rakha hai (The influence exists and will continue. God has given me this influence).”