BHONGAON (MAINPURI): Construction is on at a rapid pace in the small, quiet town of Bhongaon, located at the heart of Samajwadi Party bastion of Mainpuri. The construction is a result of the NDA government’s push in Mulayam heartland in an attempt to swing votes.
However, their effort might still fall short, as the town is strongly behind the SP patriarch. Shivam Kumar, the lanky, 34-year-old father of two, put it succinctly.
“Netaji ke zor ya darr se inhone kaam kiya hai, warna toh yeh ek phooti kaudi na dete hume (This is a result of Netaji’s fear or pressure, else the BJP would not have given us a penny).”
The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin) is one of the pet schemes of the NDA government. Under the scheme, beneficiaries get Rs 2.5 lakh to build pucca houses. Uttar Pradesh has been sanctioned the second highest number of houses after West Bengal.
Kumar isn’t the only one in the town, who, despite reaping the benefits of the scheme, is firmly behind Netaji.
Rajkumar Yadav, a 65-year-old former carpenter and a beneficiary of the PMAY-G, favours the SP too.
Three blocks away from Yadav’s, Shabnam Begum’s house is in the works. As she supervises the men undertaking the construction activities, she said, “99 per cent credit goes to Netaji and only one per cent to the BJP. They only sanctioned the houses under pressure and once he comes back as our MP, he will do more for the constituency and the state.”