KAUN BANEGA LUCKNOW MAYOR? HAVE YOUR PICK
It’s different this time. The seat has been reserved for women candidates for the first time. Here’s a lowdown on profiles of those in fray
From a legal luminary, businesswomen to an RSS warhorse, all are in the electoral fray to become Lucknow’s first woman mayor. The mayoral poll in Lucknow is different this time as the seat has been reserved for women candidates for the first time. The contestants represent different generations with the youngest being 34-year old MBA graduate and the oldest a septuagenarian.
LUCKNOW: From a legal luminary, businesswomen to an RSS warhorse, all are in the electoral fray to become Lucknow’s first woman mayor.
The mayoral poll in Lucknow is different this time as the seat has been reserved for women candidates for the first time.
The contestants represent different generations with the youngest being 34-year old MBA graduate and the oldest a septuagenarian.
All have unwavering authority in their respective fields.
Bahujan Samaj Party’s candidate Bulbul Godiyal, 55, is a legal luminary. She was the first woman additional advocate-general of Uttar Pradesh and is into the legal profession since 1991. Godiyal’s father Robin Mitra was also a renowned lawyer. With strong backing of the legal fraternity, the BSP candidate will be no push-over for rivals.
Bulbul Godiyal’s strong profile was a driving force behind the BSP selecting her as the party’s candidate. BSP chief Mayawati needed a formidable challenger as the party is contesting civic polls for the first time on its symbol - elephant.
“I got a call from BSP chief Mayawati offering me ticket for the mayoral election. The party approached me and I agreed to contest,” said Godiyal.
The Samajwadi Party has thrown all its weight behind Meera Vardhan, 54, who is wife of socialist leader Acharya Narendra Dev’s grandson, Yasho Vardhan.
She runs one of the oldest petrol pumps in the city and manages its daily affairs. Meera has shattered the myth that running a petrol pump is a male bastion.
Pinning all hopes on Meera, the Samajwadi Party will go all out to make a comeback in UP after the drubbing in the assembly polls.
She comes with a clean image and has a strong connect with the business community – a class which is considered to be BJP’s vote bank.
Recently, when several petrol pumps in the city where under scanner of Special Task Force (STF) for using cheat chips to dispense lower quantities of fuel to consumers than what they paid for, Meera’s petrol pump stood apart because of its good business practices and honesty.
By fielding a candidate, who is popular in the business community, the Samajwadi Party will try to breach the BJP’s bastion.
The Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) is being represented by BJP mayors for many elections.
Eldest among all candidates is BJP’s Sanyukta Bhatia, 70. Wife of two –time BJP MLA late Satish Bhatia, she was the first choice of the RSS leadership. Being an active member of the RSS, Sanyukta’s candidature was finalised at Keshav Bhavan, an RSS headquarter in the state capital.
Her son, Prashant Bhatia, is an RSS functionary.
Sanyukta’s candidature has set aside any probability of rebellion in the party over mayor’s candidature. With all might of the RSS behind her and political experience, Sanyukta Bhatia is a strong contender despite her age.
“Age is no deterrent in politics. It is experience that matters a lot in politics,” said Sanyukta Bhatia.
An MBA graduate from Agra University, Priyanka Maheshwari, 34, wife of former district coordinator of AAP, is the youngest among all candidates. A business woman, Priyanka manages the paper manufacturing unit of her husband, Gaurav Maheshwari.
It was also tough for Priyanka to accept the party’s offer as she has to take care of a three-monthold son.
For the AAP, civic polls are an opportunity to make inroads in UP’s politics. With a young candidate, the AAP is promising corruption-free LMC.
For the past one-and-a-half years, the AAP has been raising issues related with the LMC. It also took the RTI route to expose corruption in the civic body.
“AAP has been exposing corruption in LMC for the past two years. We have a connect with the masses. So, seeking votes will not be a problem for me,” said Priyanka.
Relying on Priyanka’s age, the AAP will try to connect with young electorates.
Another candidate who comes with a baggage of political legacy is Congress’ Prema Awasthi, aged around 60 years. She holds the post of general secretary in Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) and has a long political career.
Her husband, late Surendra Awasthi was a two-time MLA from Haidergarh. Despite having so much political experience, this mayoral battle will not be easy for Prema.
Congress’ shrinking vote bank will be a major hurdle before her.
Prema’s candidature was also dramatic. Initially, it was Kusum Sharma, ex-bureaucrat, who was the party’s official candidate.
But when Congress leaders realised that her name does not figure on the voter’s list, Prema was asked to file nomination papers.
Both Kusum and Prema filed nomination papers on November 7, the last day of nominations.
The next day, Congress declared Prema as the party’s official mayoral candidate.
MEERA RUNS ONE OF THE OLDEST PETROL PUMPS IN THE CITY AND MANAGES ITS DAILY AFFAIRS.SHE HAS SHATTERED THE MYTH THAT RUNNING A PETROL PUMP IS A MALE BASTION