In three-cornered LS poll battle for key UP seat, a distinct BSP imprint
Despite being away from power for close to a dozen years, footprints of the BSP government are quite visible in Akbarpur — the administrative headquarters of the district. The institutions and edifices brought up during the BSP government dot the landscape of the town.
Akbarpur (Ambedkar Nagar):The Ambedkar Nagar Lok Sabha constituency is all set to witness a fierce three-cornered contest in the ongoing polls, but the imprint of the BSP — one of the three corners — in its eastern Uttar Pradesh stronghold is palpable as all three main candidates have emerged from the laboratory of the Mayawati-led party.
The BSP has lost much of its sheen over the last few years in this constituency due to largescale defections — something that has opened space for the BJP as well as the SP. The BSP has fielded Qamar Hayat Ansari for the May 25 polling in the constituency, while the BJP and SP have given tickets to BSP turncoats Ritesh Pandey and Lalji Verma, respectively. Ambedkar Nagar will go to polls in the sixth and penultimate phase on May 25. The constituency has maximum 28% Dalit voters, 15% Muslim, 14% Brahmins, 12% Kurmis and 11% Yadavs.
BSP’s dominance
BSP chief Mayawati carved out Ambedkar Nagar as a new district from Faizabad (renamed Ayodhya in 2018) in September 1995 when she was the chief minister and named it after Dalit icon Dr BR Ambedkar. In the 1996 Lok Sabha polls, BSP’s Ghanshyam Khawar won the seat. In the subsequent elections in 1998, 1999 and 2004, Mayawati emerged victorious from the constituency, making it a BSP stronghold.
In the 2007 state elections, the BSP swept all five assembly segments of the Lok Sabha constituency as Mayawati went on to form a government in the most populous state.
Despite being away from power for close to a dozen years, footprints of the BSP government are quite visible in Akbarpur — the administrative headquarters of the district. The institutions and edifices brought up during the BSP government dot the landscape of the town.
She launched a slew of development projects, established an engineering college, a medical college and a women’s college in the district. Even when the Ram Temple movement was at its peak in early 1990s, the BSP managed to hold its fort. “The party that once dominated the constituency is striving to regain the lost ground in the 2024 elections,” Vishambhar Gupta, a resident of Ramabai Nagar locality, said.
Twist and turns
Amid BSP’s dominance, the SP tasted its only victory in this Lok Sabha constituency in the 2004 bypoll after Mayawati vacated the seat. The BSP bounced back, winning the seat again in 2009.
In the 2014 polls, BJP’s Hari Om Pandey managed to wrest power from the Mayawati-led party riding on the Modi wave. Once again, the BSP bounced back in 2019 when Ritesh Pandey won the seat for the party. In the run-up to the 2022 assembly polls, all top BSP leaders in the district rebelled against the party, paving the way for a SP sweep in the polls. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav gave ticket to BSP turncoats who were once considered loyal to Mayawati.
The 3 contestants
The BSP defectors included Lalji Verma, the legislator from Katehri, who is in the Lok Sabha poll fray on a SP ticket.
BSP’s Qamar Hayat Ansari is a former chairman of Jalalpur Nagar Palika Parishad in Ambedkar Nagar. He belongs to Pasmanda (Muslim) community and wields considerable influence in Muslim-dominated Jalalpur area.
In the run-up to the ongoing general elections, incumbent BSP lawmaker Ritesh Pandey defected to the BJP. He has been fielded by the BJP. “The fight in the constituency is among the soldiers of the blue brigade who worked to spread the base of the BSP in the constituency,” Abdul Siddiqui, a local, said. “They are aware of each other’s political tactics and so the fight here has turned interesting. Lalji Verma led the fight for the BSP in the successive assembly and Lok Sabha elections. Rakesh Pandey, the father of the BJP candidate Ritesh Pandey, was once a close aide of BSP chief Mayawati.”
The issues
All three parties have mobilised their resources in the constituency. On May 18, Akhilesh Yadav addressed a rally here and hit out at the BJP. “Unemployment and inflation have increased under the NDA. The electoral bonds scam has exposed the BJP and it is playing the communal card to polarise voters,” he alleged.
SP candidate Lalji Verma invoked socialist ideologue Ram Manohar Lohia, saying: “In the birth place of Lohia, both the followers of Lohia and Ambedkar have joined hands for SP’s win.”
Hitting out at the SP and the BSP, Ritesh Pandey said: “Both the parties have dumped the ideology of Ambedkar and Lohia.”
On defections of top leaders, BSP state unit chief Vishwanath Pal said: “Before the polls, a new line of young leaders raised from the cadre began working with a missionary zeal. We are working to regain the lost ground.”