The test of popularity: Five of the most furious contests in Assembly polls

On February 10 and 14, Uttar Pradesh will see polling in 113 Assembly constituencies (58 in the first phase and 55 in the second) of a total 403. Goa (40 seats) and Uttarakhand (70 seats) will also witness elections to all their Assembly constituencies on February 14. In some places, candidates have jumped ship and will now laud the very side they had been rubbishing over the past five years — for instance in Goa, 73 per cent of the candidates contested from a different party in the previous election. In a few crucial seats, new faces are in the fray. Here are five such hotly contested seats: 


Goa

Panaji 

Date of Election: February 14

The constituency was earlier represented by former chief minister the late Manohar Parrikar. His son Utpal was expecting to get the nomination from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Instead, the party opted for Atanasio “Babush” Monserrate, who until recently was with the Congress.

“Manohar Parrikar contested from Panaji for two decades. He developed a bond with Panaji and I too have made that bond. I am fighting for values. I tried to convince my party that I can contest. Despite that, I didn't get the candidature. The party preferred a candidate who is opportunistic and came to the party recently. I had only two options — the BJP or going Independent. I have chosen to contest as an independent candidate,” Parrikar told reporters. 

The Shiv Sena has decided not to field a candidate and rather work for him. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) offered Parrikar the seat as its candidate but he declined. It remains to be seen if Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who acknowledges Manohar Parrikar as his mentor, campaigns against Utpal, whom he has seen growing up.

Calangute 

Date of Election: February 14

There are two institutions in Calangute. One is Michael Lobo, MLA. The other is the iconic 50-year-old nightclub Tito’s, which was sold last year by co-owner Ricardo D’Souza. Although he since denied Tito’s has changed hands, De Souza, at the time, said: “This is the culmination of all the harassment we have received over the last 40 years from the police, the excise, from the MLA, sarpanchs and panch members.” Michael Lobo was BJP MLA representing Calangute.

At 8.30 pm, a week after elections were announced, Lobo announced he was quitting the BJP and the government (he was minister for science, technology, and waste management). The next morning, he joined the Congress. Explaining his epiphany, he said: “Voters told me that the BJP is no more the party of the common people… The Congress is working for the common people. It will return to power with more than 25 seats.” Contesting against him is Joseph Sequeira, who joined the Trinamool Congress and stayed there for 11 days before joining the BJP.

Uttarakhand

Gangotri 

Date of Election: February 14

The Ganga originates in Gangotri, and supposedly, the party that wins the seat gets to form the government. This may be a myth but this time, the seat is hotly contested, not the least because the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is contesting for the first time.

Gangotri was held by Gopal Singh Rawat, and in 2017, the party came to power under the leadership of Trivendra Singh Rawat with a huge mandate of 57 seats of 70. But Gopal Singh Rawat died in April, 2021. Now, the BJP has fielded Suresh Chauhan; the Congress’ nominee is Vijaypal Singh Sajwan who lost to Rawat the last time around. Recognising the importance of the contest, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, who has to prove his credentials as a vote-getter, has also campaigned for Chauhan.

Trying out his luck is Col Ajay Kothiyal from the Aam Aadmi Party. Both the nominee and the party are contesting the Assembly elections in Uttarakhand for the first time.

Uttar Pradesh

Deoband 

Date of Election: February 14

Of the approximately 300,000 voters in the Deoband constituency, around 120,000 are estimated to be Muslims. In this situation, two facts stand out: Two candidates were claiming to be the official Samajwadi Party (SP) nominee — Maviya Ali and Kartikeya Rana, son of former minister, the late Rajendra Rana. And that the All India Majlis e Ittahud ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) was also in the fray.

The nomination of one of the two SP candidates, Maviya Ali, was rejected by the Election Commission after the SP withdrew support to him at the last moment. This leaves a Hindu, Kartikeya Rana, as the SP’s official candidate.

The BJP’s candidate is Kunwar Brajesh Singh, for whom none other than Home Minister Amit Shah campaigned vigorously. The Congress and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) have put up Muslim candidates. This means the fight is for the Hindu votes in a predominantly Muslim constituency. The seat is currently with the BJP.

The Deoband Assem­bly constit­uency, the seat of the top Islamic semina­ry of Darul Uloom, has been at the centre of a high-pitched battle betw­een the ruling BJP and Opp­o­sit­ion parties ever since Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath laid the foundation of the Anti-Terrorism Squad there.

Suar 

Date of Election: February 14

Falling in the Rohilkhand region, Suar is mostly underdeveloped. It has featured in the news for all the wrong reasons: Its MLA, Abdullah Azam Khan, was in jail over a variety of charges. He was released only recently but his father and Rampur Lok Sabha MP, Mohammad Azam Khan, continues to be incarcerated (he will fight the Assembly election from prison). Abdullah had won from Suar in 2017 but in 2019 the Allahabad High Court declared his election null and void on grounds that he was not 25 when he filed his nomination.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s ally Apna Dal (Sonelal) has fielded Haider Ali Khan, of the erstwhile Rampur Nawab royalty, in Suar. In 2017, Abdullah had defeated Haider’s father and sitting MLA Kazim Ali Khan. Kazim Ali Khan has since shifted out of Suar and it is the youngsters who are locked in the fight.

Suar is a fight for legitimacy, prestige and honour. Azam Khan may be behind bars but he has to prove he has influence even from prison.