UP Polls: Battle in Gonda being led by rebels

In the 2022 assembly election, Gonda, the land of politicians known for their muscle power, has become a battleground for rebels. The strategy of all political parties -- the BJP, SP, BSP, and Congress -- to win the election has been thrown into disarray due to the rebellion of their leaders.

The land of politicians known for muscle power -- Gonda -- has turned into a battlefield of rebels in the 2022 assembly election.

In the 2022 assembly election, Gonda, the land of politicians known for their muscle power, has become a battleground for rebels. (FOR REPRESENTATION PURPOSE)

The strategy of all political parties -- BJP, SP, BSP and Congress -- to emerge triumphant in the electoral battle has gone awry due to the rebellion of their party leaders.

BJP’s sitting MLA from Colonelganj seat, Ajay Pratap Singh aka Lalla Bhaiya, revolted against the party after denial of ticket. BJP has fielded Ajay Singh, a close aide of BJP MP from Kaiserganj, Braj Bhusan Sharan Singh. A scion of the Bargadi Kot estate, Lalla Bhaiya announced support to SP candidate Yogesh Pratap Singh, a scion of Bhabhua Kot estate, leading to anxiety in the BJP camp.

The rebellion of senior party leader Vinod Kumar Shukla added to the woes of the saffron brigade with his defection to the BSP. Shukla is contesting on BSP ticket from Katra Bazar seat against BJP sitting MLA Bawan Singh.

The Samajwadi Party is also grappling with rebels who have thrown a spanner in SP’s plan to regain lost ground in the ongoing polls. Former SP MLA Ram Pratap Singh and party leader Santosh Kumari defected to Congress. While Singh is contesting on Congress ticket from Gaura assembly seat, Kumari has been fielded from Mankapur seat. SP leader Kamlesh Niranjan, who has influence in Mehnaun assembly area also defected to BJP.

In the 2017 assembly elections, BJP had captured all the seven seats in Gonda -- Mehnaun, Gonda Sadar, Katra Bazar, Colonelganj, Tarabganj, Mankapur and Gaura. In 2012, SP had bagged the six seats while BJP managed to win Katra Bazar seat. In 2007, BSP won two seats, SP got three and Congress one seat.

BJP has this time fielded sittings MLAs on six seats -- Ramapati Shashtri from Mankapur, Prabhat Kumar Verma from Gaura, Prem Narayan Pandey from Tarabganj, Bawan Singh from Katra Bazar, Prateek Bhusan Singh from Gonda Sadar and Vinay Kumar from Mehnaun seat. On Colonelganj seat, it has fielded Ajay Singh in place of sitting MLA Ajay Pratap Singh.

Samajwadi Party has fielded Suraj Singh, son of former minister Vinod Kumar Singh aka Pandit Singh from Gonda Sadar, Nandita Shukla from Mehnaun, Baijnath (one name) from Katra Bazar, former minister Yogesh Pratap Singh from Colonelganj, Ram Bhajan Chaubey from Tarabganj, Ramesh Chandra from Mankapur and Sanjay Kumar from Gaura.

The BSP has fielded Shiv Kumar from Mehnaun seat, Mohmmad Zaki from Gonda Sadar, Vinod Kumar from Katra Bazar, Ranjeet (one name) from Colonelganj, Lalji (one name) from Tarabganj, Shyam Narayan from Mankapur and Nigar Fatima from Gaura.

Sambhu Kumar Shukla a school teacher in Katra Bazar, said floods, stray cattle menace, roads full of potholes and migration are main issues but the caste factor will be decisive in the victory of candidates.

“While the BJP is banking on support of the upper caste – Rajput and Brahmin voters -- as well as other backward class who played a pivotal role in ensuring victory of the party in 2017, the SP has also mobilised its traditional support base – Yadav and Muslims as well as upper caste Rajput voters. The BSP has played the Muslim-Dalit card,” he said