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An engrossing four-cornered contest appears to be on the cards in Phulpur Lok Sabha constituency, which Congress seeks to reclaim after 25 years, BJP hopes to win for the first time, BSP wants to retain and Samajwadi Party aims at wresting back.
From nationwide fame earned on account of Jawaharlal Nehru fighting from here during his lifetime to the infamy caused by victory of mafia don-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed in the recent past, this Lok Sabha seat has seen it all.
The choice of candidates and the factors at play promise an exciting battle this time even though none of the contestants enjoys Nehru's stature or Ahmed's lack of it.
Congress has surprised all by fielding former Test cricketer Mohd Kaif from the seat, apparently with an eye on the sizeable Muslim electorate.
The party also appears to be banking on Kaif's ability to connect with young urban voters whose proportion in the constituency has risen sharply after the latest delimitation.
A majority of the voters of the city have, after delimitation, become voters of Phulpur, which earlier comprised only the sprawling and populous trans-Ganga region of Allahabad district.
BJP has placed its trust in Keshav Prasad Maurya, an OBC leader who is a sitting MLA from Sirathu in the neighbouring district of Kaushambi.
Maurya trumped many aspirants, including former national spokesman Siddharth Nath Singh, who had camped in the city for many months making efforts to build his base in the constituency.
The candidature of Maurya was announced rather late, mainly on account of the long-drawn affair that an electoral understanding with regional party Apna Dal turned out to be.
Apna Dal enjoys a good following among the Kurmis and Patels, who are said to be the largest caste group in the constituency.
