NOTORIOUS DACOITS, active in Chambal ravines, have outmaneuvered the political parties in run up to the prestigious Zila Panchayat Chairman post. With mutual agreement, the dacoit gangs ensured the election of their family members to the Chairman and Deputy Chairman posts.
Vir Singh, the son of dreaded dacoit Dadua, was elected unopposed on the post of Zila Panchayat Chairman from Chitrakoot district on Saturday. Though the State Election Commission is yet to make formal announcement of Vir’s election, but his election is assured since no nomination has been filed against him.
The family members of rival dacoit gangs, including that of Thokia, had won the zila panchayat member election and were planning to contest for the Zila Panchayat Chairman post.
Since Dadua and Thokia gangs are indulged in bitter fight for supremacy in Chambal, the people apprehended that tussle for the single post between two dacoits might lead to bloody fight in the ravines.
But rather than testing each other’s muscle power in the election, both Dadua and Thokia reached an agreement. While Dadua’s son Vir Singh was elected on the post of Chairman unopposed, Thokia’s aunt Savita Singh would be elected on the post of Deputy Chairman unopposed.
Two other dacoit gangs, that of Radhey and Dharampal, too extended their support to Dadua and Thokia. The election strategies of the dacoits have left the political parties bewildered. Now under the damage control measures, they are claiming that candidates supported by them won the Zila Panchayat Chairman election.
{{/usCountry}}Two other dacoit gangs, that of Radhey and Dharampal, too extended their support to Dadua and Thokia. The election strategies of the dacoits have left the political parties bewildered. Now under the damage control measures, they are claiming that candidates supported by them won the Zila Panchayat Chairman election.
{{/usCountry}}According to sources, economics played an important role in the agreement between the dacoit gangs. A Zila Panchayat gets around Rs 10 crore per annum for development of the rural areas of the district. In their five-years tenure, both Vir Singh and Savita Singh would oversee expenditure of Rs 50 crore in the various development projects.
Politicians were not far behind in ensuring the election of their family members unopposed to the Zila Panchayat Chairman posts. In Etawah, the home district of CM Mulayam Singh Yadav, one Hemlata was elected unopposed. In Mainpuri too Suman Yadav was elected unopposed. Mukesh Agarwal brother of Transport Minister Naresh Agarwal was elected unopposed from Hardoi district.
Meanwhile, the State Election Commission has restrained the Returning Officers from declaring the result of the unopposed candidates.