There are signs that the Samajwadi Party (SP) is perhaps worried about their bastion – Azamgarh, as it is facing a neck to neck competition in most constituencies.
For the last four days, many leaders of the Samajwadi Party (SP) have been in Azamgarh which is going for the poll on Monday. Among them, Kamal Akhtar, former minister of Panchayati Raj in SP government, Nawab Jan, former MLA from Thakurdwara Vidhan Sabha seat of Moradabad reached Azamgarh on March 3 along with several other leaders and party workers. These are signs that SP is perhaps worried about their bastion – Azamgarh, as it is facing a neck to neck competition in most constituencies.
In 2017, out of 10 Vidhan Sabha constituencies, SP won 05, while Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) was victorious on04 and BJP could win only one seat. Akhtar denied any sign of worry, he told Outlook that SP is getting a full majority in this election and they will also win in Azamgarh, “We are winning all ten seats here. We made a government in 2012 under the leadership of Akhilesh Yadav, and we did historic work. We worked on the development of everyone in society. And people of the state have realised that current government is incompetent and they are determined to throw it out of power.”
Nawab Jan repeated the same. Though, words are not reflecting the real picture. On 28 February, Mayawati did a roadshow in Azamgarh which garnered lakhs of followers to support her. Mayawati came into action turning the fight in the Azamgarh into a very interesting battle – given the significant population of Schedule Caste, Muslim and OBC communities.
Also, BJP has made its position better in each constituency. In three constituencies – Atraulia, Sagri and Gopalpur Vidhan Sabha – it is giving a strong fight.
From Atraulia currently, Sangram Yadav of SP is MLA, who won here in both 2012 and 2017. BJP has never won from Atraulia. This time, BJP’s ally Nishad Party has fielded Prashant Singh in this constituency. Given the significant number of OBC, Nishad and Muslim votes, Singh can be a strong bet for BJP. Other candidates of BJP like from Gopalpur, Satendra Rai, and from Sagri, Bandana Singh, a defector from BSP who won here in 2017 on its ticket – both are going strong in this election.
In Mubarakpur AIMIM’s Shah Alam alias Guddu Jamali is in the race of opening the account of the party in Uttar Pradesh. Earlier he was in BSP and won twice (2012 and 2017), but in this election, he is contesting on AIMIM’s ticket for the first time.
The BSP candidates from all seats specially Nizamabad, Didarganj, Sagri, Lalganj are not in any disadvantaged positions. “SP should be worried. Strong Muslim leaders of SP visiting the constituency can be a sign of it. But I don’t know how this confidence in their face comes when they say that they will win all ten seats,” said Khurram Alam Norani, a senior Journalist.
“BJP and BSP are certainly doing good. It's a stronghold of SP and if they fail in saving their bastion, it will affect them in future elections,” he added. Akhilesh Yadav, SP chief and MP from Azamgarh Lok Sabha constituency, also did a roadshow on March 5. He was in Atraulia. He, too, claims that SP will sweep all seats of Azamgarh.
On 18 February, five residents of Azamgarh – including the terror mastermind, Abu Bashar Shaikh, were sentenced to death along with 33 other convicts by a Gujarat special court in the case of Ahmedabad serial blast, which again brought the terror tag back in election discourse in Azamgarh.
Yogi Adityanath in Atraulia said yesterday, “SP rule made Azmagarh a fortress of terror. An identity crisis had emerged before youths created by both SP and BSP.”
Residents of Muslim dominated region, Sarai Meer, Sanjan Pur resented the tag, and called it a “narrative cooked by media” and a “political motivated tag”. Many youths even denied the existence of such a tag and called it a “fictional tag” to create a bad name for Azamgarh.
“We hear people saying youths of Azamgarh don’t get jobs, house in other states due to terror tag. No, that is not true. We face some problems that every other Muslim in India face. We face a problem in finding a flat in big cities but not because we are from Azamgarh,” said Tariq Ali, a resident here.
“These tags don’t define Azamgarh. It is a peaceful city on the bank of the Tamsa river. Youths don’t have jobs here, not many industries are placed in this region. So, I don’t know how this tag emerged,” said Vikram Yadav, who runs a small tea shop.
In Azamgarh district, Muslims form 16 per cent, and Dalits constitute 25 per cent of the population, as per the 2011 census. Also, OBC and MBC castes are good in a number. The ratio varies, for example, Mubarakpur, and Didarganj has a Muslim majority. Azamgarh Sadar, Atraulia and Gopalpur constituencies Yadav dominates.
Castes like Lonia, Nishad, Pasi, Jatav, Rajbhar, Mauryas, can set the tone of this election. Among castes like Rajbhar and Nishad, the inclination towards BJP due to “free ration” and other benefits – has strengthened the BJP vote base. While Jatav and Pasi's vote is still with BSP.
BSP meticulously gave tickets to three Yadav candidates – from Gopalpur Ramesh Chand Yadav, From Sagri Shankar Yadav, and from Nizamabad Piyush Singh Yadav to attract Yadav votes as well,
SP too played on these arithmetics. In Muslim dominated Mubarakpur, it went for the person called Akhilesh Yadav, namesake of SP chief, and while on Nizamabad, a constituency in limelight due Ahmedabad blast news, they went for SP veteran Alam Badi, seeking re-election. Badi was elected in 1996, 2002, 2012, 2017 from this seat on the SP ticket.
Castes like Lonia, and Maurya, who are largely involved in farming have discontentment from BJP over stray cattle but they have a counter logic to it. Bunty Chouhan, a 32-year-old young man said, “People among us left cattle stray if we take care of them properly. There will be no problem at all. But we are irresponsible people and then blame the government.”