In ‘Behenji’ Mayawati’s Uttar Pradesh, there’s another ‘Behen’ emerging this election. The residents of the Western UP heartland, Bijnor, have rechristened actor-turned-politician Jaya Prada as their ‘Behenji’. She is also carrying another pseudonym — Vikas Ki Pari.
Greeted with Raj Tilak on her forehead by the Jat villagers and their warmth brings back contrasting memories of Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan “tormenting” her in her erstwhile political home Rampur making her moist-eyed.
Beaming in full noon on her Birthday (April 3) on way to Chandpur for a public meeting, the crowd assembled for road show enchanted “Vikas Ki Pari Jaya aa gayi”. It was here where the first sight of her status as yesteryear superstar went in oblivion and people of all age group tagged her vividly “Behenji, Behenji Jayaji or Hamari Behen Jaya”. For journalists from the national Capital the title till that date remained the property of the BSP.
“She suffered due to the political misdemeanor of who’s who of Rampur. We will give this State and country another powerful lady Behenji. We are happy to host her and the people of Bijnor will make her victorious,” said Shyama Devi, a villager in Shivpuri as she waited to have a glimpse of the yesteryear heartthrob in person during the road show near Chandpur.
Shyama was referring to Azam Khan who had led a campaign against Jaya Prada finally forcing her to vacate her own constituency which she nurtured over years. Thereafter when things did not materialise for her being accommodated in the Congress, Jaya along with her political mentor Amar Singh, a former SP heavyweight, joined Rashtriya lok Dal (RlD) to contest lS polls.
“We are told that she has done a lot of development related work in Rampur and we expect the same from her in this area. She has promised to ensure quality electricity for farmers, in fact, Chaudhary Ajit Singh has also promised a good price tag (MSP) for cane growers,” said Chaudhary Harpal Singh of Devali village.
While Jaya Prada is nostalgic for Rampur, she receives supports from the people of Rampur thronging her everyday for her campaign in Bijnor. “They (Rampur people) are coming everyday. Since am representing none other than the icon of farmers Chaudhary Charan Singh, I have been briefed a lot on the subject and regularly taking lessons on the need of agriculturists, besides the problems of Muslims and other communities. I have played as Muslim in my films with great élan and participated with the same zeal in Diwali, Eid or Guru Parb,” says Jaya enroute from her Madhuban farm house on Najibabad Road to take helicopter to Muzzafarnagar.
She regrets not getting the opportunity to even once contest from her home State (Andhra), and takes the opportunity to talk about her first political inspiration — NTR (NT Rama Rao).
Going beyond Bijnor, Jaya also finds time to “appreciate” something on visionary speeches by younger leaders like Rahul Gandhi (Congress Vice President) and Jayant Chaudhary (RlD MP) and refuse to “discuss” on Narendra Modi, may be due to political compulsions.