Qureshi junior makes Sangeet Som sweat

MEERUT: Sardhana is likely to see a grim battle in the forthcoming assembly elections. BJP MLA Sangeet Som faces Yakub Qureshi’s son, 32-year-old Imran Yaqub, making his electoral debut here. The son is not new to the game as he had managed his father’s campaign in 2012.

Yakub Qureshi then secured 50,000 votes after he was denied a BSP ticket for Meerut city seat and contested Sardhana on an RLD ticket. Som, western UP’s ‘Hindu hardliner’, is not taking Imran lightly as Imran’s personal votes combined with BSP’s could make things tough for him.

BSP’s strong organisational support had helped Chandra Veer Singh win the seat in 2007. Sardhana has a considerable population of Muslims and Dalits and BSP expects consolidation of the two in Imran’s favour.

Imran’s father, trying his luck as a BSP nominee in Meerut (South), is confident: “My son is politically mature.

He does not need my support in his battle. He has visited almost every village in his constituency in the recent past,” Yaqub, who was busy discussing strategy with supporters, told ET.

Clad in white kurta-pyjama and a blue jacket, Imran was seen welcoming supporters at his residence near Bhagat Singh market in Meerut on Monday morning.

His teams are already camping in different parts of Sardhana. “I have toured almost every part of Sardhana. There is a strong resentment against Som. I have supporters among all sections of voters,” Imran claimed.

SP has fielded a strong candidate, Atul Pradhan, known as a Akhilesh loyalist who could queer the pitch for Imran. “Atul is acceptable to all but he may be affected by the polarisation this time, like in 2012,” 79-year-old Abdul Rashid told ET in Falavada town, 30 km from Meerut. Falavada has a considerable Muslim population.

“Atul’s village, Gadina, is close by. So, everybody wants to vote for him. But the picture is still unclear,” said Muhammed Ayub, another Falavada resident, betraying the dilemma his community faces.

Meanwhile at Dulhera Chauhan, Som disembarks and quickly walks through umpteen narrow lanes and bylanes. He is seen touching the feet of elderly people and goes from door to door to invite people for a meeting on the lawns of a local villager’s house.

Som’s hard work makes it clear that the going isn’t easy.