BSP fights to counter rebels in its stronghold Ambedkar Nagar
Mayawati represented Ambedkar Nagar in the Lok Sabha for six terms and converted the district into a strong fort of BSP
AKBARPUR
NAGAR): Mohammad Idrish, 70, of Faridpur village is a perplexed man as Samajwadi Party workers landed at his house on Sunday and requested him to press the button on bicycle symbol for victory of party candidate Ramachal Rajbhar. “I am a supporter of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). Since 1993, I have been voting on elephant symbol to ensure victory of Rajbhar. Now, supporters of Rajbhar are asking me to vote on bicycle symbol of SP that has been the archrival of BSP, he said.
Idrish is not the only BSP supporter who is in a dilemma. Sukhdev Verma, who runs an agriculture equipment shop near Mohsinpur colony crossing said: “All erstwhile top leaders of BSP and their supporters are moving on bicycles with SP flags and persuading us to vote for SP, whereas BSP leaders are urging us to defeat the party rebels who once moved with us shoulder-to-shoulder to popularize BSP along with party founder Kanshi Ram and BSP chief Mayawati.”
He further said: “Also, leaders who once campaigned for BJP and SP are visiting us to seek votes for BSP candidate Chandra Prakash Verma.”
Retired school teacher SK Shukla said Ambedkar Nagar -known as the Dalit laboratory of BSP -- is witnessing a unique electoral battle. “BSP leaders, who had played a pivotal role in strengthening the party, are contesting on SP ticket after revolting against Mayawati. The BSP, in turn, has mobilised its resources to ensure the defeat of rebels, including Lalji Verma, Ramachal Rajbhar, Tribhuvan Dutt and Rakesh Pandey, who were once the flag-bearers of the party in the district. All four are now contesting on SP ticket,” he said.
In the 1989 assembly elections, BSP made its presence felt in the district by winning Jalalpur assembly seat. In 1993 assembly elections, riding on the Dalit-OBC card, the BSP bagged all the five seats in the district. In 1995 when Mayawati became chief minister, she carved out a new district -Ambedkar Nagar -- on December 26, 1995 from Faizabad district. In the 1996 assembly elections BSP bagged three seats and in the 2002 assembly elections, the party won four seats, including Jhangirganj seat (now known as Alapur), where Mayawati defeated SP candidate Bhim Prasad Sonkar. In the 2007 assembly election, BSP bagged all the five seats. Mayawati represented Ambedkar Nagar in the Lok Sabha for six terms.
She converted the district into a strong fort of BSP by launching a slew of development projects. In the 2012 assembly elections, Samajwadi Party shocked the BSP by grabbing all the five seats.
In 2017 assembly elections, BSP bagged three seats while BJP won two.
Elections in Ambedkar Nagar are on March 3.