Azamgarh seems set to let bua-bhatija rule

UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath with Dinesh Lal Yadav, 'Nirahua'. Pic/Jagran

Azamgarh: A four-hour journey between Varanasi and Azamgarh could give you the impression that the region has a major issue with sexually transmitted diseases, as local hakims offer shartiya ilaz for them through numerous wall-painted commercials. There are occasional advertisements that assure you a guaranteed cure for back pain. Infact, you may just think of dropping in at a hakim's place after the trip on the under-construction four-lane road and crater-riddled diversions induces unbearable pelvic pain. As you traverse through parts of at least six Lok Sabha segments of eastern Uttar Pradesh - from Varanasi to Azamgarh - and then turn around from Azamgarh to reach Allahabad, you realise that the elections do occupy the people's thoughts.

SP, BSP rule minds

Reactions pour in as we start talking to the voters. "Cycle chale tej raftaar, haathi daude lagataar (Cycle - Samajwadi Party's (SP) symbol - runs faster than ever, and the elephant - Bahujan Samajwadi Party's (BSP) symbol - sprints continuously)," said Ramakant Yadav, who works in Azamgarh, where ex-CM Akhilesh Yadav faces BJP's Bhojpuri actor Dinesh Lal Yadav 'Nirahua'. He said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will lose the Lalganj (reserved seat) very badly and shouldn't dream of winning Azamgarh. "Gathbandhan hi sabse bhaari, ab sirf hamrihi baari' (The gathbandhan is most powerful. We will win this time too)," he says.

Yadav and many others challenge us to find a BJP supporter who can guarantee the actor's victory. "Netaji (Mulayam Singh) has developed the area. Akhilesh has taken the development forward as CM, and we have decided to vote for them. The Yadav community will not split their vote for Nirahua, said Yadav. "One-sided hai ji. This isn't a contest," said Ram Bihari, a Dalit farmer, who swears by behan Mayawati. "We're all together this time."

When we tell them that Nirahua is a big crowd puller, they retort. "He is a good actor who was honoured by Akhilesh sarkar. We go there for free entertainment. That doesn't mean that he will get every person who attends his rally to vote for him," said Syed Hussain. Aam Aadmi Party's UP council member and Azamgarh resident Alok Tripathi endorses the general sentiment. He says without a Congress candidate, the two-corner fight tilts heavily on the gathbandhan's side. "It will be impossible for BJP to surpass the SP and BSP's 2014 votes put together. SP and BSP are together now. Netaji (Mulayam Singh) won comfortably last time in the Modi wave. I foresee a record margin for Akhilesh," said Tripathi, who switched over to AAP six years ago.

Song and dance appeal

PM Narendra Modi has held rallies here with the sole purpose of consolidating anti-gathbandhan votes. Nirahua's nukkad sabhas are attractive because of his speeches. Song and dance performances by his supporters from the film industry draw even more people. His 'zero to hero' rhetoric makes a momentary impact but the party workers aren't sure if that will make him a giant-killer.

Akhilesh's trusted aides have taken the BSP cadre along to make the ex-CM's victory a memorable one. Akhilesh and Mayawati held a joint rally here on Wednesday, in which the SP leader hinted that his 'bua' would be the next prime minister. BSP cadres get wooed by 'Mayawati for PM' forecast. The SP workers get uneasy, but relieve the tension assuming it is their leader's ploy to keep the gathbandhan intact in view of BJP's threat to make a dent ahead of the May 12 and 19 polls in eastern UP which holds key to the future of several significant leaders.

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