LUCKNOW: Transgender leaders like BJP's Sonam Kinnar and Samajwadi Party's Payal Kinnar may not be contesting the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, but have created a buzz through their electioneering.
Rooting for their parties, these leaders are generating interest, not only in their community, but also among the common people as they carry out door-to-door campaigns all over the state.
According to the voters list released by the Election Commission recently, the number of third gender voters stand at 8,853.
Sonam Kinnar, who was on November 17 appointed vice-chairperson of the newly formed UP Transgender Welfare Board with the status of minister of state, and Payal Kinnar, who was made state president of SP Kinnar Mahasabha, have been travelling in different districts to garner support for their parties.
"I have already campaigned in Noida, Bahraich and Shravasti among other districts and campaigned as per the programme given to me by the party," Sonam told PTI.
Working to ensure that the BJP forms a full majority government and Yogi Adityanath returns as the chief minister, Sonam says that once this is achieved, the Kinnar community will also see prosperity and all their problems will be resolved.
For the Samajwadi Party, Payal has campaigned in Varanasi, Kanpur, Gonda, Ghaziabad, Sitapur and Lakhimpur, covering almost 40 districts in recent times, and finds that there has been a perceptible change in the attitude of people who come over to listen to her.
Payal had contested the 2002 assembly election against BJP stalwart Lalji Tandon from Lucknow west.
She claimed, back then too, the response was very good.
Payal, however, feels that a lot needs to be done to make the society sensitive towards the Kinnar Samaj.
"Kinnar Samaj is still considered a taboo, not given respect or proper treatment.
I am campaigning also among my own community as we have to eke out a place in the entire society and not just among the kinnars.
"I feel I have the responsibility to end wrong perception about our samaj among common people, and this is an opportunity to make some headway in this direction," Payal said.
Though both the leaders along with their supporters are presently limited to campaigning only, Sonam said, "If the party gives me a ticket, I will contest but I have not demanded a ticket. I am a member of the BJP and am working for it."
On the other hand, Payal said," I don't have any wish to contest, though 'bhaiya' (SP president Akhilesh Yadav) had asked me to but I do not want it. I want to serve Bhaiya for five years when the government is formed. Not only for kinnars but also serve the entire society and only after that I will think about contesting."
Interestingly, both are not aware of the strength of their community, with Sonam stressing that "the survey of kinnar samaj in UP has not been done yet."
"I had written a letter to the principal secretary of the Social Welfare department for it but the model code of conduct came into effect and it could not be undertaken," Sonam said.
Both the leaders said they are aware that nowhere in the state, their presence is so large that they can have an impact on elections, but felt that since they are an important part of society, their presence in the election process should also be seen and they should be taken seriously.
"No one gives importance to the kinnar samaj. In UP, very few kinnars have got voter I-cards. No one can finance us, we cannot get a house by getting it financed," Payal said, adding that there is no facility for them.
"I had met Akhilesh Bhaiya and told him about all this and he has assured that after formation of government , our problems will be resolved at the earliest," Payal said, adding that she has got trangenders of 40 districts associated with the SP and they are all campaigning in their respective areas following the model code of conduct and Covid protocol.