Since the emergence of Mulayam Singh Yadav in UP politics in 1980s, Azamgarh, a ‘land of Yadavs’ has become SP’s bastion with Muslims riding on his cycle after the Ram Temple movement.
But his fort was stormed by Mayawati with support coming from some SP-rebel Yadav-Muslim ‘senapatis’ (lieutenants) supported by strong army of Dalits and MBCs.
To protect his fort, Mulayam himself came to contest the 2014 lok Sabha poll from Azamgarh and despite Modi wave, he was the only leader in entire Purvanchal (eastern UP) who successfully protected his fort, though losing half of its parts comprising five Assembly segments out of 10 of the district forming lalganj (SC) parliamentary seat.
In 2012, Azamgarh rooted for the SP as the party got nine seats, leaving Mayawati to satisfy with just one. Now, in the absence of Mulayam on ground zero, his followers appear to be a bit confused.
Many faithful Mulayam loyalists who had friendship with him since the time he had captured the strong base of the region from Chaudhary Charan Singh, still prefer to ride on cycle. It is another story that many among them don’t look so enthusiast as when Mulayam dominated the party.
Despite all patch-ups after father-son family tension, many are still in doldrums about their old political career and their bids to make safe grounds for their wards as Mulayam did for Akhilesh.
Whether Mulayam avoiding Azamgarh on health grounds or other reasons, Akhilesh is finding it difficult to keep the Muslims intact as BSP is trying hard to woo both the Muslims and Yadavs.
As Congress has fielded not a single candidate in entire district, Rahul Gandhi also avoided visiting there though in last elections Digvijay Singh frequently visited there to encash resentment among Muslims over Delhi’s Batla House encounter.
In this battle, the BJP which was virtually nowhere there is hopeful of some gains and opening its accounts in the district where it had managed only in 1991 and 1996 winning Mehnagar and lalganj seat respectively.
Mulayam’s lieutenant is sitting Sadar MlA and Akhilesh’s Minister Durga Prasad Yadav, who is seeking his eighth win but this time, he is facing stiff challenges from Bhupendra (BSP) and Akhilesh (BJP).
Mulayam’s other lieutenant is Balram Yadav, who had not only won Atraulia seat five times but also succeeded successfully to hand over his legacy to his son Sangram Singh, a sitting SP MlA who too could face a challenge from Akhand Pratap Singh of BSP and Kanhaiya lal Nishad (BJP).
Unlike these two seats, in Sagri, Bandana Singh of BSP looks a smooth sail on sympathy wave as her husband and former MlA Sarvesh Kumar Singh Sipu was murdered a few years ago. Realising this, the SP has replaced its sitting MlA Abhay Narayan and has fielded Jairam Patel while BJP’s Devendra Kumar Singh has hope to do well for the party.
In Nizamabad, sitting MlA Alambadi of SP is seeking his fourth victory, facing challenges from Chandra Dev Ram of BSP and Vinod Kumar Rai of BJP while in Gopalpur, resentment is among followers of Akhilesh’s Minister and three-time MlA Waseem Ahmed as he was denied ticket by SP as the party has fielded Nafeas Ahmed.
To wrest the seat, BSP has given ticket to Kamla Prasad Yadav while BJP’s candidate is Shrikrishna Pal.
In Dildarganj, sitting MlA Adil Sheikh’s cycle is running on rocky tracks as BSP’s Sukhdev Rajbhar, who failed to sail through last time, is likely to revenge his defeat.
Sukhdev, is a veteran leader, who had won lalganj seat four times and was forced to shift Dildarganj in 2012 as lalganj seat has become reserved.
BJP’s Krishna Murarai has a high hope in this constituency, along with lalganj (SC) a former MlA from Mehnahar Daroga is giving challenges to sitting MlA Bechai lal and BSP Azad Mardan.
BSP may take revenge of its last defeat in Mehnagar (SC) where two-time MlA Vidya Chaudhary is facing challenge from SP’s Kalpnath, a former BJP MlA as party had denied ticket to sitting MlA Brij lal Sonkar.
The BJP has left the seat for alliance partner SBSP’s Manjoo. In Mubarkpur, sitting BSP MlA Shah Alam is facing tough contest from SP’s Akhilesh Yadav and BJP’s laxman Mourya in weaving community - dominated constituency and in Phoolpur Pawai sitting SP MlA Shyam Bahadur Yadav has no smooth sail against Abul Qais Azami of BSP and Arun Kumar Yadav of BJP.