Criminals dominate in 20 UP seats

MANDATE 2004

Across the party, caste and communal lines, muscle power will have a substantial influence on voters' behaviour in over 20 constituencies of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

Those known to be more at ease with the trigger of AK 47s than feeling people's pulse will lead the campaign in these areas.

For instance, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who shifted from Gonda to Balrampur, is a history-sheeter.

Though he won the Gonda seat several times for the BJP, his clout grew in the region inspiring fear and awe among local residents. His name figures in many criminal cases in the Gonda district, but is regarded as a strong votary of the Hindutva in the backwaters of eastern UP.

The neighbouring constituencies of Azamagarh and Jaunpur are known as fiefdom of two brothers""Umakant Yadav and Ramakant Yadav. Ramakant is contesting from Azamgarh and Umakant from Machlishahar as Bahujan Samaj Party BSP candidates.

Ironically, they were accused of making an attempt on the life of BSP chief Mayawati when she was holed up in the state guest house in 1996. In the police records, they are also accused of killings in Azamgarh.

Mayawati appears to have forgiven them and put them up to mobilise resources and muscle to counter UP Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav's influence.

Yadav's Samajwadi Party (SP) has fielded Atiq Ahmed from Phoolpur. Ahmed was arrested under the National Security Act (NSA) and had figured in many criminal cases. Those having track record with the police from the SP included Rizwan Zahir from Balrampur, Akshay Pratap Singh, brother of Raja Bhaiiya and TADA detenue, from Paratapgarh.

In UP, though all parties have shown their inclination to put up certain candidates wielding considerable muscle influence, the BSP takes the cake by doling out tickets to those having an image of powerful warlords. Such BSP candidates include Mitrasen Yadav from Faizabad, Ashok Chandel from Hamirpur and Updesh Chauhan from Jalesar.

In the neighbouring Bihar, the trend of putting up candidates with criminal background appears to have found social acceptability in many constituencies.

Apparently, Mohammad Shahabuddin, who figures in many cases of murders, abduction and attack on policemen, is a formidable candidate of the RJD-Congress combine from Siwan. Shahabuddin is one of the prime accused in the murder Chandrashekhar, former JNU student union president.

On the other hand, the BJP has co-opted Anwarul Haque and put him up from the Sehohar Lok Sabha seat, ignoring all police records, which implicate him in various cases.

"We known that the intelligence agencies have prepared a dossier on Haque, which contained objectionable charges" said sources in the RSS. But Haque is regarded as a true-flagbearer of the Hindutva in the area where muscle influences voters.

Similarly, Surajbhan, whose name figures in the police records of UP and Bihar as accused in many murders and abductions, is desperate to get the support of Ram Vilas Paswan's party to try his luck from Begusarai.

Pappu Yadav's growing muscle power in Purnea enabled him to switch side and join Paswan's camp to contest the election as the Lok Janashakti Party candidate from his strong hold -Purnea again.