New Delhi: Usually when Congress leaders from Delhi visit a district in Uttar Pradesh, local party leaders turn up to welcome them. But a party meeting with AICC Secretary Abhishek Dutt saw a surprise appearance by Amarmani Tripathi, former state minister and a prominent ‘bahubali’ from Purvanchal.
Dutt and Congress social media department chairperson Supriya Shrinate were visiting Maharajganj district in UP’s Purvanchal region earlier this week as part of the party’s organisational tour. Tripathi was among those who turned up at Gorakhpur airport to welcome them. He also attended the party meeting in Maharajganj later. Dutt is in charge of the party’s organisation in Purvanchal region.
The development has attracted attention because Tripathi recently announced his plans to make a political comeback and contest the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. He said he would contest the Farenda seat in Maharajganj district, while his son Amanmani would contest in Nautanwa. Challenging his political rivals, he recently said, “If there is anyone capable of taking me on, let me know.”
Tripathi was convicted for the 2003 murder of poet Madhumita Shukla and handed a life sentence in 2007. He was released prematurely in 2023.
With the 2027 polls approaching, there is growing speculation that the Tripathi family could return to the Congress fold. His recent presence at Congress programmes has further fuelled chatter of a potential comeback.
Tripathi’s political career had begun with the Congress. In 1989, he was elected an MLA for the first time on a Congress ticket, but lost in 1991. He then contested and won three consecutive assembly elections: in 1996, 2002 and 2007, with Congress, BSP and Samajwadi Party respectively.
His son Amanmani Tripathi also went on to win an assembly election in 2017 as an independent candidate, although he lost in 2022. The Maharajganj region has traditionally been regarded as a strong political base for the family.
The mock assembly & the BRS-Congress meme fest
The standard shouting matches between Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, and his bête noire and Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader K.T. Rama Rao, have been a common sight in Telangana. But the political theatre in the state has now officially turned into a high-concept parody.
The 22 BRS legislators, who were suspended by the Speaker for indiscipline, stepped outside the actual assembly, and staged a mock assembly in Telangana Bhavan—BRS headquarters in Hyderabad—turning the political dial all the way up to eleven.
The parody was nothing short of a cinematic masterpiece, perfectly capturing the chaotic energy of Telangana’s current administration. From the HYDRAA and the Section 22A policies that have created massive controversies in the state, to the six guarantees that remain unfulfilled, the legislators took up all the issues performing, not just protesting.
Seated on neatly laid-out rows of brown benches in Telangana Bhavan, the BRS MLAs portrayed multiple roles, effortlessly switching between playing CM Revanth Reddy and his key cabinet ministers.
Barred from the assembly, the impersonations were as sharp and savage as witty. From mimicking the ministers’ gestures to portraying the absolute chaos that usually ensues when the treasury benches defend their policies, the BRS legislators, both men and women, weaponised humour and delivered a stinging critique of Congress party’s administration.
With this parody, the official battle between the ruling party and Opposition moved from X to YouTube, with multiple videos being uploaded and circulated.