LUCKNOW: For the first time in the last 50 years, a Dalit will be elected in the upcoming three-tier panchayat elections to helm the Saifai gram sabha in Etawah district, an undisputed stronghold of the first family of Samajwadi Party — the Mulayam Singh Yadav clan. The panchayat elections in the state are likely to be notified after March 20.
The Saifai blockhead post has also been reserved for a scheduled caste woman for the first time in the last 25 years after the UP administration revised and released the fresh reservation list of seats for rural body polls scheduled to be held in April-May.
Notably, Mulayam’s family has been occupying the posts of Saifai gram sabha for 50 years and blockhead post for the last 25 years.
Now after both seats being reserved for the S/C women, the Yadavs are looking for a candidate of their trust.Of the total 24 zila panchayat (district panchayat) seats in Etawah, 16 have been reserved.
Of 471 posts of gram pradhans, 40 posts will be reserved for S/C women, 46 for OBC women and 85 posts for OBCs. Of the 8 posts of block chief, two will be reserved for S/C, two for OBC.
Darshan Singh Yadav, a close confidant of Mulayam and his son and party chief Akhilesh Yadav had represented Saifai as village head (pradhan) for 48 years.
He died last year in a Lucknow hospital following a prolonged illness. Saifai was accorded the status of the block in 1995 when Mulayam Singh Yadav was UP CM.
Since then this seat has been occupied either by an OBC or a general category candidate. Yadav falls in the OBC category.