Vivek Kumar Singh accused the state government for helping Samajwadi Party candidate from Banda, Bal Kumar, who was brother of slain king of ravines, Shiv Kumar alias `Daduwa’. He claimed that the local officials had not only facilitated Bal Kumar, to rein terror in the area to ensure victory but also alleged that the sleuths of the Special Task Force (STF) have been just withdrawn to pass on clear cut message that now SP candidate has entire government machinery behind him and who so ever go against the SP candidate he should get ready to face the music.
Dreaded brigand Shiv Kumar alias ‘Dadua’ already fell prey to police bullet several years back, but his terror still looms over the electoral fight in Banda-Chitrakoot lok Sabha constituency in Bundelkhand region. Congress Party MlA from Banda, Vivek Kumar Singh, who is pitted against the Samajwadi Party candidate and Daduwa’s younger brother, Bal Kumar Patel, claimed to be shocked to found the entire administration rallying behind Bal Kumar, to ensure his victory.
In a letter dispatched to the Election Commission of India, on last Saturday, Singh alleged that Yadav and Kurmi officials, the caste to which Patel belongs, have been given key postings. From the district police chief and the Additional District Magistrate to revenue officials such as lekhpal, everyone is from these castes, alleged Congress candidate.
Besides accusing the district administration of misusing official machinery by ignoring alleged violations of the Model Code of Conduct by Patel, Vivek Singh also alleged that some officials were related to the SP candidate, among them ADM Anand Kumar, Sub-Divisional Magistrate C.B. Singh and lekhpals of Gureh and Mawai villages.
In his complaint, the Congress candidate said the District Magistrate of Chitrakoot, Surendra Vikram Singh (a Kurmi OBC), was the Chief Development Officer of Mirzapur when Patel was MP there. Similarly, district police chief of Banda, Arvind Sen, is nephew of SP candidate from Faizabad, Mitrasen Yadav. Alleging that most of these officials were posted within a fortnight before model code of conduct came into action, Vivek Singh demanded the transfer of all of them. "These officials have been appointed by the State government with the intention of influencing the polls in favour of the SP candidate so they must be immediately shifted to ensure free and fair elections," Vivek Singh claimed while talking to media persons.
Sources said that Bal Kumar is fully capitalising on his and his brother Daduwa’s terror in the area. Daduwa, who remained elusive for more than three decades in the jungles of Paatha, Dadua, was finally eliminated in July 2007 - when Mayawati was chief minister. Before he was killed, Daduwa had carved out his political empire in the region with the support of Kurmis. The Samajwadi Party was quick to court Dadua’s close relatives. His son, Veer Singh, is the SP MlA from Karvi in Chitrakoot.