NEW DELHI: While Amroha parliamentary constituency, named after a historical town, is witnessing one of the quietest elections ever like many other western Uttar Pradesh segments, a section of the electorates vocally pledge allegiance to the political parties of their choice.
For a section of voters, the ongoing contest is to safeguard their pride and self-respect while for some others, it is a pay-back time to those who helped them at some point.
The third section comprising mostly young voters, concerned over unemployment and scant jobs, aren’t too enthusiastic but will vote for the party they have traditionally been supporting.
“I can’t make any sense out of it. We are not deriving any benefit out of the elections. There is no employment opportunity here. With no factory or industry in Amroha, the lower-middle class is suffering the most. I am a married man. I can only ride an auto or e-rickshaw or use a handcart to earn livelihood,” said Kaushal Saini (27), a juice vendor, who lives in Mohalla Lakra, where once renowned poet Syed Jaun Asghar Elia lived.
Like Saini, the youth in Amroha town, which used to be a hub of cottage industries such as dholak manufacturing units, handlooms, and Beedi production, see the advent of battery-operated rickshaws as a blessing in disguise.
“Riding a battery (electric-rickshaw) suits me fine as I don’t have an educational degree. However, there are educated youth, who are forced to ply battery rickshaw in the absence of job opportunity,” said Mohammed Arshad (23), a resident of Amroha.
Though Amroha is set to go to the polls on April 26, an awkward silence grips its roads, chaupals and bazaars. Election posters, flags and vehicles used for electioneering are missing.
Despite the absence of election ‘wave’, the constituency is ready for a straight dual between Kanwar Singh Tanwar of BJP and opposition bloc – INDIA bloc backed Congress candidate Kunwar Danish Ali, incumbent MP.
Ali defeated sitting MP Tanwar as a BSP candidate in the last election with SP as its alliance partner. Ali, who was at the receiving end of racial slurs hurled by BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri in Parliament last year, was suspended for anti-party activities. He then joined the Congress. This time, the BSP has nominated a Muslim Mujahid Hussain.
Tanwar seems to be riding on his reputation of a do-gooder and a couple of schemes of the Central government including PM - Awas Youjana, Ujjwala (free LPG cylinder), water supply to each household and free ration while Ali is credited to initiation of road improvement and other development works.
“Tanwar saab has always been there for the people of Amroha and keeps helping people. He organises weddings of girls from poor families. But it is also a fact that in the last five years, a lot of work, which MLAs couldn’t manage, has been done. Amroha has sent four state ministers,” said Mohammad Rafique Ansari, who claimed to have contested local body elections unsuccessfully.
Had the Congress repeated its previous candidate Sachin Chaudhary, it would have better chances to win the seat. Amroha, a Muslim population dominated constituency, also has a sizable presence of Sainis, Balmikis, Pals, Prajapatis, and also Jatavs -- traditional voters of BSP.
“Today voters are not scared. If they have benefited from the schemes and policies of the Government, they are voting in the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We are going door-to-door to urge people to take benefit of the schemes,” said Dilip Singh Prajapati, a BJP sympathiser.