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‘Local vs outsiders’ theme dominates Azamgarh Lok Sabha bypoll talk
Other key issues in the Azamgarh Lok Sabha bypoll scheduled for June 23 are development, establishment of a sugar mill, airstrip, post graduate medical institute and some other projects.
Waiting for tea at over seven-decade old Leaderabad tea stall in the heart of bypoll-bound Azamgarh, Abdul Rahman is engaged in a poll discussion with Azad Ansari.
The Lok Sabha bypoll is slated for June 23. It is being held to fill the Azamgarh seat vacated by Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, who chose to retain the Karhal assembly seat in Mainpuri after his maiden contest in assembly polls in March.
“Local versus outsiders is the main plank in this bypoll,” says Rahman.
“Development is the main plank and everyone knows that the Samajwadi Party carried out development works in Azamgarh,” counters Ansari.
Before he can end his statement, Amarjit, a resident of Mitrasenpur sitting next to him, says, “This election is a bit different. ‘Local versus outsiders-- is resounding everywhere, be it villages or towns in Azamgarh.”
This theme dominates all other poll issues among the people, mostly youths, not only at Leaderabad tea stall, but also in Mubarakpur and many other towns in the bypoll bound Azamgarh, considered to be stronghold of Samajwadi Party, other locals also say.
The SP has fielded Akhilesh’s cousin Dharmendra Yadav, a former Badaun MP for the Azamgarh the Lok Sabha seat. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has chosen Bhojpuri actor and singer Dinesh Lal Yadav aka Nirahua and the Bahujan Samaj Party has nominated Shah Alam aka Guddu Jamali.
Mubarakpur, a Muslim majority town in Azamgarh, is known as Reshami Nagari (silk city) for weaving fine silk and semi-silk saris.
“We elected Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav in 2014 and then SP chief Akhilesh Yadav in 2019. But we could never meet them. Shah Alam Guddu Jamali (the Bahujan Samaj Party candidate) is easily accessible and we can meet him (Jamali) whenever we want. With this, you can understand which direction the wind is blowing in this by-election,” says Tehzeeb Anwar, a young entrepreneur of Mubarakpur.
“Is there a lack of leaders in Azamgarh for contesting the bypoll?” he asks.
Imtiyaz Ahmad, who runs a mobile shop in Mubarkpur, has a different view.
“The Samajwadi Party has done the kind of development in Azamgarh that no other party has done. Hospital to airstrip, the SP built it in Azamgarh,” he says.
Awadhesh Yadav, principal of Lalsa Krishak Inter College at Nibi Bujurg village, says, “A sugar mill in Sathiyaon, an airstrip, which is now an airport in Azamgarh, a post graduate medical institute, and the collectorate building came up in Azamgarh during the SP rule in the state. For this reason, the SP has an edge over the BSP.”
Shahzad Azam, who repairs smartphones, has a different take. “The locals have seen what happened after the last two Lok Sabha elections. After winning the election, the big leaders live in Lucknow or New Delhi. In case of any problem, we have to struggle to convey our message to them because the people of their party don’t take interest even in conveying our message, let alone solving our problem,” Azam says.
“Go anywhere, speak to anyone, people are in favour of the local candidate,” he claims.
Waseem Akhtar and Atahar Raza Ansari, both social workers, echo similar sentiments.
“We want a local person, who is easily accessible, to represent Azamgarh in the Lok Sabha. You may understand who that local is,” says Ansari.
Quamar Ahmad does not conceal his feelings. “At present, the wind is blowing in favour of the locals. What will happen tomorrow, I can’t say,” Ahmad says.
Jafar Ahmad Azmi, a resident of Mubarakpur who is in his mid- seventies, observes that the SP is in a strong position.
Syed Sadiq Ali Rizvi, senior advocate and regular visitor to Leaderabad tea stall, says, “Guddu Jamali is the only leader who distributed a lot of relief material among the poor in entire district during Covid-19 crisis. Therefore, a lot of youths support him.”
Bahujan Samaj Party district unit member Gareeb Rao Rasia says, “Both BJP and SP candidates are outsiders. In this election, there is a direct contest between the local and two outsiders. From the villages to the city, this issue is in focus.”
He claims that the local candidate enjoys the support of the people. A large number of Muslim youths are strongly supporting Jamali, while the elderly Muslims support the SP.
Santosh Yadav, a farmer of Ranipur, while pointing to the sugar mill in Sathiyaon, says, “This sugar mill has been built by Akhilesh bhaiya. This is a gift to the cane farmers of this region. I am an SP supporter. But the fight is triangular.”
Akhilesh Yadav inaugurated the sugar mill at Sathiyaon in 2016. It benefits around 30,000 farmers from five districts —Azamgarh, Ghazipur, Chandauli, Mau and Varanasi.
Bhojpuri actor-singer Dinesh Lal Yadav aka Nirahua had contested the 2019 Lok Sabha election against Akhilesh Yadav from Azamgarh and lost.
But that has not stopped him from visiting Azamgarh. Owing to this, he has an advantage, says Sriram Yadav, a shopkeeper in Sathiyaon.
Dinesh Kumar Singh, a lawyer, says, “Muslim voters will play a decisive role in this bypoll.”
Pramod Singh, another regular visitor to Leaderabad tea stall, says, “There is lack of enthusiasm among the grassroots level BJP workers due to defeat of the ruling party candidates in the 2019 Lok Sabha election and the 2022 assembly election.”
But Rishikant Rai, a BJP leader, says, “Dinesh Lal Yadav Nirahua belongs to Ghazipur. Azamgarh is his karmbhoomi. It is inappropriate to call Nirahuaji an outsider in Azamgarh.”
Hari Prasad Dubey, the SP’s Azamgarh district general secretary, says “Azamgarh is the Samajwadi Party’s stronghold. It is karmbhoomi of Netaji Mulayam Singh Yadav and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav. People of Azamgarh always supported Samajwadis.”
THE LEADERABAD TEA STALL
The Leaderabad tea stall, which was set up as Sriram Tea Stall in 1950, is known as a centre of poll discussions. Locals, including politicians of different political parties, intellectuals and lawyers sit together and talk about a range of issues, especially politics, says Dinesh Kumar Gupta, who owns the tea stall.
Gupta says former chief minister Ram Naresh Yadav and several other leaders used to visit the stall. They used to spend hours discussing a range of issues. Bahujan Samaj Party leader Sukhdev Rajbhar was also a frequent visitor. Politicians Dara Singh Chauhan, and Durga Yadav also visit the tea stall, he says.
