Kalyan Singh's bastion Debai under siege
This Lodh-Rajput bastion, considered a stronghold of BJP chief ministerial candidate Kalyan Singh, is facing a BSP invasion that threatens to undo the Saffron party’s VIP candidate
By Aarthi Ramachandran, TNN |
DEBAI: In Debai, one of the first constituencies of UP to elect a candidate belonging to the Jan Sangh, the BJP is under siege. This Lodh-Rajput bastion, considered a stronghold of BJP chief ministerial candidate Kalyan Singh, is facing a BSP invasion that threatens to undo the Saffron party’s VIP candidate.
Rajbeer Singh ‘Raju’ – the sitting MLA who is also Mr Kalyan Singh’s son – is taking on the BSP’s Bhagwan Sharma or ‘Guddu’ Pandit in what looks like a do-or-die battle. For Mr Raju, and his father, it is clearly a contest where their pride is at stake. And the campaign has had its share of intrigues. Copies of an anonymous CD is doing the rounds, in parts of the constituency, which portrays the BSP candidate as an ‘outsider’ and who has risen through crime.
Mr Raju has charged BSP supporters with attempted assault and FIRs have been registered. There is also talk of Mr Pandit pumping money ‘in aid’ of locals. The constituency is hyperactive with just two days for polling day. BSP chief Mayawati’s election gambit of fielding as many as 86 Brahmins to create a ‘Dalit-Muslim-Brahmin’ support base has had its effect here.
Debai and neighbouring Atrauli – where Kalyan’s daughter-in-law Premlata Verma is the candidate – are two constituencies considered the former BJP chief minister’s pocket borough. In both places the Lodh Rajput community forms the biggest chunk of voters and the two seats have been faithfully returning candidates from the community. Hence it is stunning that the BSP has made in-roads into this area with an out-of-town candidate.
“It is a very keen contest...The results might just stun all of us,” says Dr R N S Solanki, the principal of Kuber Inter College. For Fateh Singh, a pradhan from the nearby Roopaspur village, the election is going to be a test of his faith in Vaastu. “If Raju wins, then I will believe Vaastu is bogus,” says the leader and goes on to add that the east corner of the Mr Raju’s house is not spacious enough.
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But more than that, what is making Mr Fateh Singh and some others wish defeat for the BJP candidate is his attitude. “Vazir jab Raja ban jata hai to uska sir ghoom jata hai,” says Mr Singh hinting that Mr Raju has become too big for his boots. Another local body representative is cut-up with Mr Kalyan Singh for telling the people at a massive 40,000-strong rally held recently that he is giving Debai its crown prince. This said, it will not be easy to overcome Kalyan Singh’s hold here. With the Lodh vote, numbering about 70,000 in a constituency of 2,40,00 voters, assured for Mr Raju, all other upper castes, Dalits and Muslims will have to vote for Mr Pandit to make him win. According to Mr Solanki some percentage of Brahmin vote is likely to get split.
Mr Arun Agarwal, a shop-owner in the market, says the Bania community will also not vote en-mass for the BSP’s candidate. Muslims, however, are looking favourably disposed towards the BSP both in Debai and Atrauli. With elections just two days away, however, it will not be long before the picture becomes clearer.
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