Lucknow: It is the season of discord and divorce in political families in Uttar Pradesh.
After UP minister Daya Shankar Singh and his wife and former minister Swati Singh called it quits and got a divorce, ending their 22-year-old marriage, it is now the dispute between former minister and UP MLA Raghuraj Pratap Singh a.k.a. Raja Bhaiya, and his wife Bhanvi Singh that is making news.
Raja Bhaiya has filed for divorce in the family court in Saket, Delhi. His plea to end his 28-year-old marriage is now listed for hearing on May 23.
The hearing was adjourned on Monday as family court judge Shunali Gupta was on leave.
The counsel for Bhanvi Singh also sought time to file a reply. Differences between Raja Bhaiya and his wife Bhanvi Singh started surfacing when she filed an FIR for fraud against Raja Bhaiya's close aide Akshay Pratap Singh, an MLC, in February this year in Delhi. Bhanvi claimed in her FIR that Akshay fraudulently got his associate appointed as a director in the firm owned by her. She claimed that they wanted to usurp her company. Bhanvi said they forged her signature and made fake documents to appoint the director. However, Raja Bhaiya later told reporters that Akshay had not done anything wrong and he was with him. People close to Raja Bhaiya claim that Bhanvi has been living in Delhi for the past three years - an indication that things were not well between the couple.
Sources confirmed that there were several efforts by family members and friends to make the couple sort out their differences but in vain.
Raja Bhaiya and Bhanvi Singh got married in February 1995, two years after he entered active politics. According to sources, in his divorce plea, Raja Bhaiya has stated that his wife not only left home but also refused to reside with him. It says that Bhanvi made false allegations against Akshay and caused discord among family members that amounted to mental and emotional cruelty towards him.
Raja Bhaiya and Bhanvi have four children - two daughters and twin sons. Eldest daughter Raghvi was born in 1996. The second daughter, Brijeshwari, was born in 1997. Raghvi is a reputed shooter. The twin son - Shivraj and Brijraj - were born in 2003.
In active politics since 1993, Raja Bhaiya is an MLA for the 7th consecutive term from Kunda.
His clout in UP politics extends beyond his home district Pratapgarh. He has served as minister in Kalyan Singh, Ram Prakash Gupta, Rajnath Singh, Mulayam Singh and Akhilesh Yadav governments.
He now heads his own Jansatta Dal. Â
—IANS