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UP polls: In Bahraich, Muslims, Dalits hold key to electoral fortunes
UP assembly election: The BJP had won six of the seven assembly seats in Bahraich district in 2017. The SP had bagged one seat then.
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Considered among the most labour intensive regions of Uttar Pradesh, Bahraich lacks industrial development and is yet to get a rail link to Lucknow though locals have been raising the demand for years even as the UP polls are under way. Nevertheless, reaching Bahraich from the state capital after covering 127 kilometres via National Highway 927 is much easier today as the road is in a better condition.
As one enters Bahraich city, the Pani Tanki Chauraha, looks like a typical small town intersection. The crossing gets its name from an overhead water tank.
A corner of the road has a tea and snack outlet where political discourse is in full play in the context of the UP polls.
Over a cup of tea, a group of people is discussing the prospects of the sitting BJP MLA Anupama Jaiswal, a former minister in the Yogi Adityanath government, in Bahraich Sadar assembly constituency.
Rahul Shankar, 37, a BJP supporter, is hard put to defend Jaiswal.
“Why should we vote for her (Anupama Jaiswal)?” asks Ramakant Sankhwar sitting on the bench facing Rahul.
“Even basic issues like waterlogging in one part of the city could not be addressed in five years,” claims Ramakant.
In the 2017 UP assembly poll, Jaiswal defeated Rubab Sayeda of the Samajwadi Party by a margin of 6,702 votes. Jaiswal polled 87,479 votes.
The BJP had won six of the seven assembly seats in Bahraich district in 2017. The SP had bagged one seat then.
Bahraich district has a sizable Muslim population of around 34 to 35% evenly spread across all seven assembly constituencies. It also has a Dalit population of around 15%. With the Muslims appearing to stand with the Samajwadi Party in this election, Dalit voters are likely to decide the fate of Jaiswal.
She is facing a strong challenge from the Samajwadi Party’s Yasir Shah. Besides, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has fielded a Muslim candidate Nasim Khan ‘Naim’.
But it will be tough for Khan to bag the votes of his community members, according to some locals.
“We are supporting the Samajwadi Party. Even Muslim candidates of other parties will not get our (Muslim) votes,” says Iqbal Malik of Nanpara, an assembly constituency in Bahraich district.
The Bahraich-based Kaushlendra Singh, independent political analyst of eastern Uttar Pradesh, says: “There is a bipolar contest between BJP and SP candidates in Bahraich and the rest of the state.”
“In Bahraich, it will not be easy for the BJP to repeat its 2017 performance. BJP candidates are banking on the Modi-Yogi factor, Dalit and Mahila (women) voters. If the BJP is able to cross half-way mark,then it will be on these factors only,” Singh said.
