Varanasi (UP), May 11 Belief is often said to be a cause and asource of happiness.
People in Varanasi also perhaps believed that parliamentary electionswould offer excitement like 2014. But many say they have been let down.
It has become a one sided matter. Prime Minister Narendra Modi willwin with good margins as the Congress and Samajwadi-BSP-RLD alliancecould not put up a good fight.
In terms of contest in eastern Uttar Pradesh, common people say therewas lot of expectation from the Congress – which still has a strongsupport base. But the complaint remains that the grand old party couldnot take the contest to its logical end.
Many citizens here say there was 'lack of sincerity' in Congress andeven after Priyanka Gandhi (Vadra) joined the campaign trail and wasnamed as AICC general secretary – there was no solid planning to movethings on ground.
Visit in various parts of the city including gullies would suggestthat the natives are not much interested about the so called 'do ordie' elections.
"We thought there would be good fight. By some standards, in 2014,there was a contest as AAP leader from Delhi Arvind Kejriwal took onMr Modi. But not this time. Now even those who want to vote againstBJP knows pretty well that Mr Modi's victory from the constituency ismuch easier," says local businessman Santosh Kumar.
Even in 2009 - there was much of political excitement as senior BJPleader Murli Manohor Joshi was in the contest for the first time.Prior to that Mr Joshi used to contest from Allahabad.
Agreeing with Santosh Kumar, a hotelier Irfan Mia, says - "It is sadto note that the Congress is not seen in contest. When the resultscome not only in Varanasi, but in key eastern UP hubs like Gorakhpur,the Congress could have put up a better show had there been properstrategy and planning".
What's people's main grudge against the Congress?
Firstly, they say - at least in Varanasi – the Congress should havefielded a senior leader and a more 'known face'.
"After initial hype of Priyanka Gandhi herself contesting fizzled out– the Congress has left it to Ajay Rai – who not only lost 2014 LokSabha polls against Modi by a huge margin, but it is also a fact thatMr Rai also lost assembly elections in 2017 too," says a Congresssupporter.
This is not to undermine Ajay Rai as a candidate, at least he took onthe fight, local citizens say.
Voters in key eastern UP political hubs say the Congress should havedone proper planning and ‘organising’ of things to exploit its"potential support" base.
On this score – admit many senior citizens especially retiredgovernment servants that despite potential to fight it well Gorakhpurto Azamgarh to Varanasi – the Congress is not seen in contest.
"If things could not be organised, the Congress and SP-BSP-RLD shouldhave worked harder, held more meetings to ensure the alliance," sayssweat shop owner Rajendra Gupta.
This is the reason, he explains the city today is giving a peculiarindifferent look.
Endorsing this view, a BJP worker says - "Elections may come,elections may go. People are giving an impression that life ofcommoners would continue. The focus is on day to day challenges - theysay".
So much is 'weakness' in Congress candidate today that locals saypossibly the Mahagatbandhan nominee Shalini Yadav may easily poll morevotes than Ajay Rai of the Congress, simply on the arithmetic of thealliance.
But those who believe in 'fighting it out' in politics have not yet given up.
"Shalini Yadav now the main opposition nominee as Samajwadi candidate.Now, all eyes are May 16 rally to be addressed by SP chief AkhileshYadav, BSP supremo Mayawati and RLD leader Ajit Singh. She will put upa fight to Modi and perhaps bring down the victory margin," saysSamajwadi Party worker Neelima Singh.
In terms of statistics, in 2014 while Congress candidate bagged 75,000votes to finish third after Mr Modi and AAP leader Mr Kejriwal, the SPvote share was 45,000 and the BSP candidate got 60,000.
In a record victory, Mr Modi polled more than 5.8 lakh votes making it56 per cent of the total votes cast while Mr Kejriwal had finishedsecond by polling 2.09 lakh votes.
BJP supporters, however, say there is definitely all the excitement."You talk to any youth and local citizen near the Ghat, there is Modi,Modi sloganeering. People have made up their mind both in Varanasi andthe rest of UP - Phir Ekbar, Modi Sarkar," says one ABVPactivist.
Varanasi (UP), May 11 In what is seen an interesting developmentin caste equations in electoral politics in Varanasi, ShivpalYadav-led newly floated Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) hasdecided to support the candidature of Congress Ajay Rai for theprestigious seat.The announcement here has taken people by surprise as the move willaffect the prospects of SP-BSP-RLD alliance – more so in casteequations.In 2014 Prime Minister Narendra Modi brought in an unprecedented unityamong all castes population including the Yadavs.But in the run up to the 2019 polls, Samajwadi Party, which holds agrip over Yadav vote share, struck an alliance with BSP and RLD andthus could claim substantial OBC and Dalit votes.This could have had bigger influence in enhancing the prospect ofMahagatbandhan nominee Shalini Yadav.But now the decision of Shivpal Yadav, uncle of Samajwadi Party chiefAkhilesh Yadav, will certainly create a division among Yadav voters.Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) Varanasi unit president Ismail KGuddu announced the party “decision” to back Ajay Rai and also saidthat Shivpal Yadav will campaign for the Congress nominee.The SP-BSP-RLD Mahagatbandhan has fielded Shalini Yadav,daughter-in-law of a local Congress veteran for the prestigious seat.Shivpal Yadav’s party has presented a Vision Document for Varanasi andurged the Congress nominee to highlight the same.Meanwhile, sources in the Congress camp say the party candidate AjayRai, who contested unsuccessfully against Prime Minister Narendra Modiin 2014 also, has reached out to various socio political groups andsmaller parties to garner their support for May 19 elections.Among others, the Congress candidate has reached out to RashtriyaPurvanchal Ekta Party, Kendriya Brahmin Samaj, Lok Manch Benaras andManav Samaj Party.
Amid challenge, BJP hopes to retain Ghazipur banking on Modi factor
Ghazipur (Uttar Pradesh), May 10 In the contest is Afzal Ansariof Samajwadi-BSP alliance. Also a former MP for two terms between 2004 and 2014, Ansari is alsoa brother of local muscleman Mukhtar Ansari and obviously this is afactor in the election for Ghazipur parliamentary constituency fromwhere BJP has fielded Union Minister Manoj Sinha.However, as one interacts with political workers in rural hubs inthese pockets - caste equation is mostly debated."The caste factor does not favour the BJP but good thing is localpeople talk about developmental works of Manoj Sinha," says a BJPsupporter Rajiv Kumar Gupta.But hard reality suggests the challenge for Manoj Sinha is quite aherculean one. Even during the peak of 2014 'Narendra Modi wave', MrSinha could wrest the seat for his party by a margin of 33,000 only.The votes polled by Samajwadi and BSP in 2014 add up to -- 516122 much more than 306929 polled by Mr Sinha.
Deoria voters have fond memories of ‘socialist leader’ Mohan Singh
Deoria (Uttar Pradesh), May 8The electorate in Deoria seemed to have come full circle with their choice.
The parliamentary constituency – in close range of hyper sensitive political segment of Gorakhpur – has been
once a Congress bastion and gradually it has gone through being a socialist hub under much respected
socialist Mohan Singh.
Essentially, it has been always a non-BJP constituency. The voters, however, came under the saffron influence
occasionally and BJP nominees have been returning home. In 2009 it went in favour of BSP as well.
In 1962, 1967 and 1971 elections, Bishwanath Rai of Congress dominated the scene. After Emergency in 1977,
Devata Mani Tripathi won the election on Bharatiya Lok Dal ticket. He repeated the feat yet again in
1980.
The seat came back to Congress in 1984 (post Indira Gandhi assassination) but in 1989 Janata Dal
nominee Raj Mangal Pandey could win the seat.
In 1991, Mohan Singh won on the Janata Dal ticket but in 1996 the seat was won by Prakash Mani Tripathi of BJP.
Mohan Singh, now a Samajwadi Party nominee, won the election in 1998.
However, BJP's Prakash Mani Tripathi again won the election in 1999 but Mohan Singh won it in 2004 yet again.
In 2009 however, Gorakh Prasad Jaiswal on the seat on, Bahujan Samaj Party. Again in 2014 riding
the Narendra Modi wave, veteran Kalraj Mishra won the seat for the saffron party.
In 2014 – it was BJP veteran Kalraj Mishra – who had shifted from Kanpur – who won the seat by a huge margin.
Mr Mishra for his part had to move from Kanpur as another stalwart of Hindutva politics M M Joshi had to be
accommodated. In 2009, Dr Joshi was BJP MP from Varanasi – but in 2014 – as Narendra Modi got a call from ‘Ganga Maiya’ – Dr Joshi was given ticket from Kanpur.
In 2014, Kalraj Mishra had polled 4,96,500 votes and his nearest rival Neeyaz Ahmad of BSP had polled 2,31,114 votes.
“Voters here have fond memories of Mohan Singh’s tenure as MP. He had won the polls thrice. Singh was really a people’s representative and was extremely popular,” says Samajwadi Party supporter Kiran Yadav.
“Late Mohan Singh was a big leader. He might have not had the lung power of the political class among many leaders from the region. But when he spoke in parliament and here during meetings and rallies, it had made lot of sense to local electorate,” he says.
Samajwadi Party supporters and also others among citizens say the BJP fielded Kalraj Mishra in 2014, but there was no denying the fact that Mr Mishra was an ‘outsider’ to this constituency.
The BJP has this time too fielded another ‘outsider’ Ramapati Ram Tripathi, a former state unit chief of the party and who was once a trusted aide of Rajnath Singh.
Nobody is though sure about how much Rajnath Singh, a former national president of the Lotus party, has helped Mr Ramapati get the ticket this time.
In fact, the saffron party had a compulsion in accommodating him as its candidate after his son – the sitting MP from Sant Kabir Nagar Sharad Tripathi got embroiled into a ‘shoe beating’ trouble with another party leader and MLA.
The BJP leadership decided to ‘punish’ Tripathi for his indiscipline and misconduct in public life.
Among the opposition parties, the Congress nominee is Niyaz Ahmad Khan, who has moved to the grand old party after Mahagatbandhan of Samajwadi and BSP decided to allot the ticket for the seat to Binod Kumar Jaiswal of Samajwadi Party.
“We are working hard and this seat will return to the Samajwadi Party this time,” says Samajwadi Party local
leader Parvez Khan.
But the ‘outsider tag’ given for the BJP candidate is likely to dominate in people’s mind and thus according to educationist Bhavna Singh, “the voter turnout could be less or the votes in NOTA category will go up”.
The parliamentary segment has five assembly constituencies under it – Deoria, Tamkuhi Raj, Fazilnagar, Pathardeva
and Rampur Karkhana.
As mentioned, Deoria has been won by the Congress as well. Congress stalwart Bishwanath Rai, had first represented
this constituency way back in 1951 as well.
Mr Rai was once a Minister in the central government also and had good command over UP politics.
Samajwadi Party hopeful of Mahagatbandhan win in Gorakhpur
Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh), May 7 Despite the known fact that Gorakhpur has been always considered a
'safe seat' for BJP since 1990s, the Samajwadi Party workers feel the Mahagatbandhan of SP and BSP has able to take the fight to the rival camp.
"Our candidate and former minister Ram Bhuwal Nishad has several advantages in this year's election.
The efforts to cause a split in Nishad votes in Gorakhpur by the BJP has failed and it rather backfired with discontent
seen in the BJP camp," says local Samajwadi Party worker Toofan Singh.
His reference is to the sitting BJP MP from Machhali Shahar Ram Charit Nishad, joining the Samajwai Party
last fortnight.
Two other important Nishad leaders Amrendra Nishad and his mother Rajmati Nishad, a former MLA,
also came into the Samajwadi snapping their about five-week stay in the BJP.
Samajwadi Party sources claim an overwhelming section of Employees’ Union of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya have
decided to back the party and this will have a critical influence in the outcome.
The BJP has 'not compromised' on their commitment towards upward castes - like Thakurs and Brahmins - who have
always dominated in eastern UP, says Singh.
"The BJP does not want the backward communities to be benefitted," says another Samajwadi supporter Akhil Anand.
The refrain from supporters of the Mahagatbandhan is that the BJP "only wants to cash" in on the Nishad community
votes, "but the saffron party will not give Nishad the share according to local Nishads' population size and participation".
They also point out that there is a division in the influential Hindu Yuva Vahini - which was once a major source of support for Yogi Adityanath, when he used to contest Lok Sabha polls.
All eyes will be on, however, on whom the voters make choice of the Congress candidate.
The grand old party has fielded a known crime lawyer Madhusudan Tiwari from the seat and Samajwadi and
BSP supporters feel the Congress nominee will only cause in BJP vote share and thus help the Mahagatbandhan.
ends
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