Tension ran high in Azamgarh parliamentary constituency when BJPmembers put up Samajwadi Party national president Mulayam Singh’s posters describing him as “missing” and promising award for anyone who would find the local MP.
The posters put up by the minority cell of the BJP read: ‘’Khojo Mulayam, pao inaam ‘(Search Mulayam, get reward)”. The BJP workers also raised slogans against Mulayam Singh Yadav for not visiting Azamgarh for even once after winning the seat in May last. Police initially detained some BJP workers but were released after their leaders threatened to stage a protest outside the police station.
BJP media in-charge of the district Brajesh Yadav said that the entire Government was enjoying the Saifai Mahotsav and Azamgarh was being run by the mafia and contractors of the Samajwadi Party. BJP spokesman Vijay Bahadur Pathak questioned as what wrong party workers had done. “They are looking for their MP. It is a common practice to put up missing posters at public places like bus stand and railway stations,” he added.
Mulayam Singh Yadav is yet to visit Azamgarh though the Government had announced several development schemes for the region, including a setting up a medical college in the city. He even did not visit Azamgarh during the centenary celebrations of Shibli College.Vice-president Hamid Ansari was the chief guest at the main function. Trying to play down the issue, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said that the BJP was only interested in doing politics on petty issues while his Government was doing valuable work for the welfare of the people.
“Our Government has launched a series of development projects for the Azamgarh division. The weavers of that area are getting raw material and their power dues have been cleared. The BJP does not see this. We will see what more can be done for Azamgarh,’’ he added. But he skipped the question as why Mulayam Singh Yadav had not visited Azamgarh so far.