UP polls: Bundelkhand votes for development

JHANSI/JALAUN/LALITPUR: Hoping that development will not be relegated to the background at the cost of politics, voters in the three districts of Bundelkhand -- Jhansi, Jalaun and Lalitpur -- turned up in large numbers at polling booths on Thursday. Lalitpur in fact topped the fifth phase with nearly 71% polling. Both Jhansi and Jalaun posted approximately 60%.Enthusiasm was witnessed among women in Jhansi Sadar constituency which is witnessing a keen contest between Congress’s Brijendra Kumar Vyas and Ravi Sharma of BJP. SP and BSP have fielded Asfan Siddiqui and Sitaram Kushwaha respectively. In 2007 Pradeep Aditya Jain won this seat for Congress, but BSP’s Kailash Sahu wrested the seat in the bypoll which took place after Jain became an MP and subsequently a Union minister. Jain, who came to the city to vote, said that first-time voters have jacked up the polling percentage.Voters said that the need of the hour is holistic development of the region as a whole. Housewife, Seema Kaushik, who had come to cast her vote at a polling station in a school in Jhansi city said that better facilities for girls in Bundelkhand is what is essentially needed.The city, for long, has been subject of discussion after it was projected as the de facto capital of Bundelkhand region. Voters, however, said that the status of a separate state has been nothing but politics. Though, quite a few said that a separate state would bring prosperity to the cities in the region. Interestingly, Jhansi Sadar is also the seat from where actor-turned-politician Raja Bundela is contesting as a candidate of Bundelkhand Congress. Babina constituency in Jhansi too witnessed a huge turnout of voters who sought change for better development of the constituency which has bad roads lack of other basic facilities. The seat, which was a reserved one till 2007, when BSP’s Ratan Lal Ahirwar won it, has been reserved this time. Sanjeev Yadav, a voter, said, “I want change, a positive and developing one.” Significantly, BSP here too changed its candidate and replaced Ahirwar with Krishnapal Singh Rajput. He is being challenged by Rajendra Singh Yadav of Congress, Chandrapal Singh Yadav of SP and Shyam Sunder Singh of BJP.Change, if not anti-incumbency, appeared playing its role in Mauranipur constituency that was won by BSP in 2007 assembly elections. Voters said that they were unsatisfied the way the constituency was served. ``All political parties do blame each other but ultimately it is us who suffer. I would like to vote for a candidate who will improve quality of life of people in the area,’’ said Rajeev Arjaria, who had come to cast his vote for the first time.No wonder BSP changed its candidate here also, replacing its sitting MLA Bhagwati Prasad Sagar with Rajendra Ahirwar. He faces a tough competition from Paragilal Ahirwar of BJP and Biharilal Arya of Congress.Similar views were aired by voters in Garautha where SP’s Deep Narayan Singh faces challenge from Ranjit Singh Judeo of Congress. ``I wish things to change,’’ said 80-year-old Chhedi Lal Gautam as he stepped slowly while emerging out of a polling booth in Gursarai. Jalaun is another district in Bundlekhand which has though registered development in the past few years but it has not been able to keep pace with people expectations. ``Lack of enough educational facilities continue to haunt the district,’’ said Prof Ramu Gautam, a voter at Arya Kanya Inter College, New Ramnagar in Orai constituency, where a keen contest brews up between Congress’s Ramadhin and Shankar Verma of BJP. Ramadhin has been an aide of BSP founder Kanshiram before he switched loyalties. Giving them a tough competition are Dayashankar of SP and Satyendra of BSP. In Kalpi, which was won by BSP’s Chhote Singh in 2007, contest appears to be between Swatantra Dev Singh of BJP and Sanjay Singh Bhadauria of BSP. Challenging the two are Vishnu Pal Singh of Samajwadi Party and Umakanti Singh of Congress. In Madhaugarh, Congress has given ticket to sitting MLA from Orai, Vinod Chaturvedi. He is being challenged by Kunwar of Rampura estate, Kaushalendra Singh who is contesting on SP ticket. BJP has fielded Santram Senger, while Santram Kushwaha is BSP's candidate. Development was the main issue in Lalitpur also. Traditionally, the two constituencies – Lalitpur and Mehroni – have seen voting on caste lines with BSP winning both the seats in the previous assembly election. Whether the pattern changes this time is though hard to tell but development for sure has occupied the minds of voters here. “Candidates and their individual abilities matter more than their political loyalities,” said Rohit Patel who came to vote at Robertpura Inter College in Mehroni, which is now a reserved seat. Here SP has fielded Munna Lal while Congress has placed its bet on Ramesh Khatik. The seat was won by BSP’s Ram Kumar Tewari, who finds himself in the woods. BSP replaced him with Feranlal Ahirwar.Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections 2012Elections 2012 News