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R Swaminathan in Azamgarh
Azamgarh has always been considered a Samajwadi Party stronghold with the 60,000-plus Yadav votes and the 25,000-strong Muslim electorate holding the key to power here.
This time, too, it is no different, except that the other parties have also wised up and fielded Yadav candidates in an attempt to cut into the SP vote bank.
The Congress has fielded Ram Pratap Yadav and the Bharatiya Janata Party has entered Chhottey Yadav as its nominee while the SP has decided to persist with outgoing legislator Durga Prasad Yadav.
The plethora of Yadav candidates has raised the hopes of the Bahajun Samaj Party, which is still reeling from the shock exit of former member of Parliament from Azamgarh, Akbar 'Dumpy' Ahmed, who has now joined the Congress.
BSP candidate Harish Rai told rediff.com: "Azamgarh has 45,000 harijan and 19,000 bhumihar voters. They have decided to vote for us... and with the exit of Dumpy Ahmed, the Muslim voters have turned against him and will vote for us. As it is with so many Yadav candidates, their votes are getting divided."
However, four-time winner Durga Prasad Yadav disagreed. He said, "The Muslims are firmly behind us and the Yadavs are not looking for 'two-bit-yadav' candidates. They are looking at (SP chief) Mulayam Singh Yadav and they know that he is going to form the government. As for myself, the Yadavs know what all I have done for them in my four terms."
SP supporter Noor Ali said, "We (Muslims) will certainly not vote for the BJP. That leaves the BSP and the Congress. Why should we vote for the BSP when they ditched Mulayamji at a crucial time? We can also never forget that the Babri Masjid was demolished during the Congress regime (at the Centre)."
But Aftab Ahmed, a BSP supporter, countered that the party under Behenji (Mayawati) is a sarva dharam party now. He cited the candidature of Harish Rai, a kayastha, as an example of the BSP's new inclusive strategy.
Sushil Kumar Rai, a cycle repair shop owner, said he will not vote this time.
"What is the point? Just look at the roads. Gorakhpur is 100 km from here, Faizabad is 135 km, Ballia is 115 km. It is the centre of Purvanchal and look at the condition of basic amenities. In summers there is no electricity for more than six hours at a stretch. So why should I vote?" he asked.
Congress candidate Ram Pratap Yadav, who reputedly has a long-running feud with Durga Prasad Yadav, said that the entry of Dumpy Ahmed has brought the Muslim voters into the Congress hold.
Accusing Durga Prasad Yadav of favouring his relatives while awarding contracts, Ram Pratap Yadav said, "The people are now tired of the SP and their broken promises. They want a change and I am the change."
SP leader Wasim Ahmed is the candidate from Gopalpur constituency. Known for his antics, the SP candidate cycled all alone to the election office to file his nomination papers.
His party workers swear that he is the most honest candidate they have come across.
Jameel Ahmed Ansari, a resident of Gopalpur, said, "Unlike other political leaders, he doesn't favour any relatives in giving contracts. And whenever the BJP has tried to close down our madrassas here, Wasim saheb has always thwarted them."
His opponent is Rashtriya Krantikari Dal candidate Hari Shankar Singh alias Jinkho Singh, who was attacked on Sunday night.
Jinkho accused the SP for the incident saying that they are afraid of his increasing popularity.
The BSP has also fielded a Muslim candidate Riyaz Khan, in the hope of cutting into the SP vote bank.
In Phulpur and Atraulia, the battle is for the Yadav vote bank.
Congress candidate Ram Naresh Yadav, who is also the sitting MLA, is tipped to win the seat, while in Atraulia, Bulham Yadav of the SP is expected to reach the finish line first.
