Kajal Nishad: SP’s Trump Card In The ‘cinematic battle’ In Gorakhpur (image: facebook.com/Kajal Nishad)

Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi party (SP) has fielded Bhojpuri TV actress Kajal Nishad in the Gorakhpur constituency. The constituency is a stronghold of BJP the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath represented five times between 1998 and 2014. The BJP candidate and famous actor Ravi Kishan Shukla attempts to retain his seat which he wrested from Praveen Kumar Nishad of SP.

Kajal Nishad is a familiar and well endorsed figure in Gorakhpur. Having over 12 years of political experience starting with congress, working in films and popular shows since 2009, Kajal Nishad has made a name for herself in the constituency. Her husband Sanjay Kumar Nishad is a Bhojpuri film producer and a Gorakhpur resident. The anticipated support from the Nishad and Muslim communities positions her as a formidable candidate.

In 2012, Kajal Nishad contested the UP assembly elections on a congress ticket and faced defeat. In 2021, she joined Samajwadi Party. The following year, in 2022 SP fielded Kajal as their candidate in Campierganj assembly seat in which she came second behind Fateh Bahadur Singh of BJP bagging 78636 (35.37%) votes when BJP secured 122032 (54.38%) votes. Then in April 2023, Kajal vied for the post of mayor in Gorakhpur in which she faced defeat and stirred controversies by accusing the BJP of rigging the counting of votes and demanding a recount. Despite facing back-to-back defeats, her appearances have solidified a resilient and popular political figure in the constituency.

The 40-year-old actor writes poetry and prose. She started her career with the role of ‘Chameli’ in the SAB TV comedy soap ‘Lapataganj’ in the year 2009. Her debut film in Bhojpuri cinema was ‘Shaadi Byaah’. She also appeared in the television serial “Tota Weds Maina” as Ram Katori Chachi and in Colors TV”s “Ishq Ka Rang Safed” as Kanak Tripathi. (according to zeenews.india.com and Wikipedia)

The Gujarat-born relocated to Mumbai at the beginning her acting career and was then married Ghorakpur resident Bhojpuri film producer Sanjay Kumar Nishad whose profession is listed as agriculture in asset declaration.

(This story is part of a Timeline. internship project.)