Biggest political `terror' over

hardoi: even as terror stalks the world post-september 11, constituents of hardoi for one are breathing easy these days. "there is no fear and no terror" beamed sant kumar singh, a farmer from chand baheta, a small hamlet in hardoi. having hitched a ride on a tractor trolley to come to the town to attend the rally of chief minister rajnath singh on monday, the farmer told times news network that the biggest `terror' in the political landscape of the constituency was over after the ouster of naresh agarwal from government."there is no longer the fear of reprisal" commented arun gupta, a retired teacher who admitted that the arrogance and terror unleashed by the former power minister and his chronies had now infact become the rallying point for all naresh baiters to come together in the run up for the assembly polls. and so was evident in the rally on monday as many who had come to the bjp sponsored rally were driven by their dislike for the former power minister than their liking for either bjp or rajnath singh. even the social justice card and the jobs for youth are non-issues in the district. every discussion -- be it the tea shop gup shup, political discussions or intellectual tete-e-tete, it all surrounds naresh agarwal and what the people allege is a "long trail of accesses". bamna, a twenty plus youth from brahmana khera is particularly miffed at naresh agarwal. the brazen misuse of the police and the district administartion is over now, many point out. recounting how he had been beaten up by men of agarwal for voting for the samajwadi party (now naresh has joined the sp) in the last assembly elections bamna says now at least he was free to exercise his voting right. the grouse seems to be all pervasive. karam from kachauna, some 35 kilometre from hardoi, seeths in anger at the very mention of naresh agarwal. his `animosity' with naresh being the cutting of his power connection to his tubewell that fed a full 2-acre crop. "i don't support the bjp but i have come here to see which sher dil (brave heart) has beat the hell out of naresh agarwal", he added gleefully. ditto several speakers at the stage who sang peans in honour of rajnath singh that were verily mixed with heavy dose of veer ras! kalraj mishra, the state bjp chief admits that the things have changed emormously in the district. "the last time i came here during the kisna yatra there was an absolute curfew like situation" he added. unable to hide his glee at the crowds at the gic grounds this time, mishra added that while the party organisation was working hard to get the votes he conceded that naresh agarwal's kuarajya was enough for them to score brownie points over the one time ally!