Kinnars become icons for voter awareness in land of Bahubalis

Varanasi: At Mau district’s Ghosi Lok Sabha seat, where voter turnout remained below 60% in the 2014 and 2019 general elections, the district election officer has taken a unique initiative. Kinnars (members of the third-gender community) are being roped in to mobilise voters and encourage them to exercise their franchise.Ghosi, the constituency of BSP MP Atul Rai who was jailed on rape charges shortly after winning the 2019 polls as an absconder, is also home to jailed mafia-don Mukhtar Ansari and caters to prominent Rajbhar and Chauhan vote banks. “It was coincidental,” said Praveen Mishra, district magistrate and district election officer of Mau. “When I met with Kinnars from the district to understand their issues and encourage them to register as voters, they volunteered to launch a campaign to raise awareness about voting rights.”Explaining their motivation, Hena Kureshi, president of the Mau Kinnars’ Union, said, “Over the past six or seven years, we’ve witnessed positive governance. We’ve benefited from various schemes like old age homes, Ayushman Bharat health facilities, toilets, and more. We also feel safer. With the government taking care of us, we wanted to give back. When the DM appealed to us to register as voters, we expressed our desire to work towards voter awareness and strengthen democracy.”Busy collecting donations in the Mau city market, Kureshi’s disciple, Khushbu, elaborated on their strategy. “Attracting crowds is easy for us. When we perform dances at clients’ homes for celebratory events, large numbers gather. During Holi celebrations, such gatherings were evident. After each performance, we urged people to exercise their franchise on voting day.” The community plans to hold more awareness events, including rallies and door-to-door campaigns, to educate people about the importance of voting. The Kinnars’ initiative aims to improve voter turnout in the upcoming Lok Sabha general election scheduled for June 1. Ghosi recorded a turnout of 54.99% in 2014 and 57.31% in 2019.Mishra has a history of supporting transgender initiatives. He was previously involved with the Noida Authority and Noida Metro Rail Corporation’s efforts to establish a “Pride Station” (Sector 50) dedicated to the transgender community. “Upon noticing only 72 third-gender individuals registered in the Ghosi LS seat voter list, I convened a meeting with their union,” Mishra said. “I directed relevant departments to prioritise addressing their concerns. I urged them to ensure everyone in their community obtains personal identity cards and registers to vote. This will facilitate their inclusion in mainstream society and grant them social recognition.” Kureshi said Mishra’s efforts inspired the Kinnars’ union. A campaign launched in Mau district is expected to bring over 100 TGs forward to complete voter registration formalities soon. Ghosi was a Bhumihar stronghold until the dominance of four-time MP and former union minister Kalpnath Rai ended in 1998. Since then, the Chauhan and Rajbhar vote banks have become significant factors, with jailed mafia-don and four-time MLA from Mau Sadar, Mukhtar Ansari, and his family wielding considerable influence. Ghosi witnessed the rise of another strongman politician, Atul Rai, who spent most of his time in jail despite winning the seat.