Just a few kilometres before Unnao Sadar area, on the main Lucknow-Kanpur highway is Sainik Dhaba, where the man sitting behind the counter will tell you that it is not the same situation for political parties like in 2017. Asked what the contest will be like in Unnao this time, the man said it will be an “interesting” fight without giving many details.
Unnao grabbed headlines after the gang rape incident, in which former BJP MLA from Bangarmau, Kuldeep Singh Sengar was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment by a CBI special court.
Unnao district has six assembly constituencies — Bangarmau, Unnao Sadar, Safipur, Mohan, Purwa and Bhagwantnagar — of which only Purwa handed a victory to a BSP candidate while the rest went to the BJP in 2017. But Purwa’s BSP MLA Anil Singh also switched to the BJP later, making the constituency a stronghold for the saffron party.
The six assembly seats in Unnao will go vote in the fourth phase, on February 23. But the one assembly constituency to watch out for is Bangarmau, which Sengar won in 2017.
After his conviction, however, BJP candidate Shrikant Katiyar won the seat in a bypoll. Even today, Sengar’s office in Sadar area bears the name plate, ‘Vidhayak – Bangarmau, Unnao’.
Sengar might be lodged in jail, but his clout is far from over in Unnao. Youngsters sitting outside his office do not hesitate to say ‘vidhayak ji’ (MLA) was falsely implicated and will soon get justice from a higher court. While there was speculation that a member of the Sengar family will be entering the poll fray, none of the political parties gave a ticket to any.
This time, however, the BJP has fielded Katiyar from this seat while the Congress has fielded Aarti Bapai. The Samajwadi Party has given a ticket to Munna Alvi while the BSP has fielded Ram Kishor Pal, whose father is a former MLA.
Though many are claiming that the contest between BJP and SP will be tough in Purwa and Mohan, many in Sadar constituency are more than satisfied with state and central development schemes.
Ram Khilawan, who is in his sixties and runs a pan kiosk near Unnao collectorate, said, “We are happy and satisfied with the BJP government, they have done so much for the poor. They gave houses, toilets, free ration, what else do we want? And even if they stop free ration in March, I am sure they will give food grains at subsidised rates for the poor. Also, how can we forget ‘notebandi’, when all the big rich people were forced to open their vaults and were standing in queues? I am sure the BJP will win and form a government once again.”
Speaking to News18 on Tuesday from his camp office, Katiyar said he was confident of being re-elected from this seat as people were happy with the development work by the “double engine” government. “As per guidelines issued by the Election Commission, we are meeting people from our constituency and are getting massive support. The Yogi Adityanath government gave a sense of security to people, tamed rowdy elements and gave so many development schemes for the poor. I have spent most of my time in my constituency and, that is why, people feel that someone from their family has become the MLA.”
“This time, too, the BJP will make a clean sweep in Unnao and we will win all the seats. The BJP is going to win 300-plus seats in the UP assembly elections this time. There is no one in opposition here, it’s only the BJP all the way in Unnao. Our organisation has worked day and night even during the corona (coronavirus) pandemic, this will definitely yield results in elections,” he added.
The Congress has fielded the mother of the rape survivor in the Unnao gangrape case from Unnao Sadar seat and Uroosa Rana, daughter of famous poet Munawwar Rana, from Purwa. If sources are to be believed, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi and other big names will soon drop in at Unnao for campaigning.
Speaking to News18, Uroosa said, “People are fed up with fake and hollow promises made by the BJP. No one is safe in BJP rule, be it females or farmers. Even youths seeking jobs are being beaten up by police. The Congress is the only alternative as our leaders believe in doing things and not just saying it.”
“We are getting a good response from the people here and poll promises made by the Congress are a big hit among females, youths and farmers. No one trusts the BJP as they never deliver on what they promise; I am hopeful that the Congress will perform well in the UP assembly elections,” she added.
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