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Allahabad west seat: Action against mafia helped set up BJP win
Action against mafia- politician, ex-MP Atiq Ahmad and his aides in Allahabad (west) assembly constituency of Prayagraj played a part in UP minister Sidharth Nath Singh’s win here, party leaders admitted
Action against mafia- politician, ex-MP Atiq Ahmad and his aides in Allahabad (west) assembly constituency of Prayagraj played a part in UP minister Sidharth Nath Singh’s win here, party leaders admitted.
Samajwadi Party’s Richa Singh also got good support but the action against mafia elements helped Singh win, party leaders added.
After winning the polls, Sidharth Nath said bulldozers have been repaired.
“Now, people will witness more action against mafias and criminals,” he said. Bulldozers were at the centre of BJP’s election campaign throughout the state.
They were even seen at BJP’s rallies and public meetings of chief minister Yogi Adityanath to demonstrate government action against mafia.
Zonal officer, Prayagraj Development Authority, Alok Pandey said 59 buildings belonging to mafia and criminals were demolished in Prayagraj.
Allahabad (west) constituency was considered Atiq’s stronghold.
Here, PDA demolished over two dozen buildings, including Atiq’s ancestral home at Chakia locality. A luxury house owned by Atiq’s relative Imran along with many buildings of his aides demolished.
Bulldozers were in action in adjoining areas of Kareli, Kasari Masari, Jhalwa, Harwara, Bamrauli, Puramufti and rural areas of Kareli. In these places, residences, godown, marriage halls owned by mafia and criminals were demolished.
In Lukarganj locality, a housing scheme has been proposed for poor on the land freed from the mafia elements, officials said. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had laid the foundation stone of the proposed scheme.
Poll analysts believe bulldozers pulling down illegally acquired properties of mafia helped BJP get support of the voters. “Bulldozers were in action against mafia and criminals in Ghazipur and Mau as well. But the BJP didn’t do well there. Bulldozers signify rule of law and it definitely gave some benefit to BJP in some places,” said head of department of political science at Allahabad University, Prof Pankaj Kumar.
Atiq and his family kept away from polls this time. There were allegations of land grabbing and other atrocities on people against Atiq and his aides.
Atiq’s wife Shaista Parveen read a letter sent by Atiq from jail at a public meeting in Prayagraj after joining AIMIM. She said that Atiq admitted that few of his aides harassed people but claimed that he was ignorant about their acts. She said he had apologized to the people and assured them that such things won’t be repeated.
