‘Ayodhya’ win proves people want temple: Mahant Das - Hindustan Times
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‘Ayodhya’ win proves people want temple: Mahant Das

Hindustan Times, Lucknow | By
May 25, 2019 11:21 AM IST

The Faizabad (now renamed Ayodhya) victory and the Modi government’s performance are likely to now give a shot in the arm of the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas for construction of Ram Mandir

Ayodhya is once again BJP’s. Lallu Singh, sitting MP of the BJP, defeated the Mahagathbandhan candidate Anand Sen by a margin of 65,477 votes shattering the caste-based alliance of the SP-BSP. Congress candidate Nirmal Khatri trailed at the third place with 53386 votes.

Once a Congress stronghold, the party today is struggling for a foothold in Faizabad parliamentary constituency which it had won seven times in the past.(Sonu Mehta/HT PHOTO)
Once a Congress stronghold, the party today is struggling for a foothold in Faizabad parliamentary constituency which it had won seven times in the past.(Sonu Mehta/HT PHOTO)

The Faizabad (now renamed Ayodhya) victory and the Modi government’s performance are likely to now give a shot in the arm of the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas for construction of Ram Mandir. The Nyas spearheads the Ram Mandir movement across the country.

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“The result of the Lok Sabha election proves that the public wanted Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

Now, the court must remove all obstacles for construction of Ram Mandir,” said Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, head of the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas.

However, it was more Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s charisma and the nationalism issue that factored a BJP win in Ayodhya than the issue of construction of Ram Mandir this Lok Sabha elections.

And the ground work for it was prepared by the Yogi governments which gave enough indication that the temple town was high on its scheme of things. First a package of 133 crore for the overall development on this ancient city, including its majestic ghat Ram Ki Paidi, came.

Then Yogi renamed Faizabad as Ayodhya on November 6 last. Yogi was present in Ayodhya for the Deepotsav celebrations when he made the announcement.

In fact, Yogi Adityanath became the first chief minister in the last 15 years to pay obeisance to Ram Lala at the Ram Janmabhoomi on May 31, 2017.

Modi was also in Ayodhya on May 1 for a rally at Maya Bazar (Faizabad), which shares its border with Ambedkar Nagar. The PM, however, skipped visiting the makeshift Ram Mandir at the Ram Janmabhoomi and Hanuman Garhi.

Once a Congress stronghold, the party today is struggling for a foothold in Faizabad parliamentary constituency which it had won seven times in the past.

Not long ago, Congress leader Nirmal Kharti won the seat in 2009 (2009-2014) for the second time. Khatri won parliamentary election from Faizabad for the first time in 1984. He is again in contest this time.

Priyanka Gandhi tried to make the Lok Sabha poll a triangular contest In this hot-bed of saffron politics on her maiden visit on March 29.

The BJP made inroads in Faizabad (now renamed as Ayodhya) in 1991 after the Ram Mandir movement took centre-stage at the national level.

Firebrand BJP leader Vinay Katiyar, who was closely associated with the mandir movement, won two consecutive Lok Sabha polls from Faizabad in 1991 and 1996. Thereafter, Katiyar again won the election in 1999.

Political observers feel that Congress lost political ground in Faizabad and rest of the state over the years due to Ram Mandir movement, caste politics and emergence of regional parties like Samajwadi Party and the BSP.

The Faizabad lok sabha seat has also been represented by Anand Ram Jaiswal of the Lok Dal in 1977. It was the first post- emergency election.

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  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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    Pawan Dixit has been a journalist for over a decade. He has extensively covered eastern UP for around five years, covered 2012 UP assembly polls, 2014 Lok Sabha polls while being stationed in Varanasi. Now, in Lucknow, he covers outstation political assignments, reports special cases from district court, high court and state information commission

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