In Sandila, the BSP’s candidate selection threatens the SP’s challenge to the BJP
The Hindu
Despite the BJP still enjoying popularity among the Arkvanshis here, the situation has changed quite a bit since 2017
Ramu and Jitin, both Arkvanshi men, have a common grouse against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Uttar Pradesh. The fathers of both men were injured by stray bulls, adding salt to the wounds of financial loss already suffered by them because crops were damaged by these animals, which have become a menace in many rural parts of the State.
Mr. Ramu’s father was suddenly attacked by a bull when he was crossing a road. He received injuries to his hip, chin and head. To arrange money for the treatment, Mr. Ramu had to sell off a biswa of his land. “How can I vote for these people [the BJP]? Don’t want to look at their phooti (broken eyes),” he said irritably. No free ration or cash doles from the BJP will change Ramu’s mind. Jitin, a local kotedar, narrated a similar story. His father received 17 stitches to his thigh after he was flipped up in the air by an angry bull three months ago.
The Arkvanshis are a lesser-known caste in U.P., among the many scattered OBC communities looking for better representation and voice. This election, the focus is on them in Sandila constituency in Hardoi in central U.P. The BJP dropped its sitting MLA, a Vaishya who had alleged that he failed to get a first information report (FIR) registered against a private hospital after he lost his son to COVID-19 due to negligence, and fielded an Arkvanshi, Alka Arkvanshi. This was to counter the Samajwadi Party’s (SP) move of nominating Sunil Arkvanshi, the State president of its ally Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), to cash in on the decent population of Arkvanshis and other smaller communities in the constituency. In the last election, the SP lost the seat by 20,000 votes.
The election authorities are gearing up for the counting of votes cast in the simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and Assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh, scheduled to be held on June 4. The Collectors and Election Officers of Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli and Alluri Sitharama Raju (ASR) districts said on May 23 (Thursday) that their teams were ready for the counting of votes.
Responding to the prolonged water scarcity, the residents of the area took to the streets in protest on Wednesday. The protest, which drew attention to their plight, stopped only after the intervention of the police. It was not until 1.30 p.m. that a 4000-litre tanker was finally delivered by BWSSB, providing relief to the water-starved residents.