Other States - Uttar Pradesh   

'Dadua' factor may tilt fortunes in SP's favour

LUCKNOW, MAY 4. Political equations in the Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh seem to have undergone a change with the ruling Samajwadi Party scoring an edge over rivals following open support from the dreaded Dadua dacoit faction to it.

The region adjoining the U.P.-Madhya Pradesh border has at least five Lok Sabha seats in the State which might be influenced by the Dadua factor. The seats of Banda, Hamirpur, Jalaun and Jhansi and rural parts of the Allahabad parliamentary seats carry Dadua dictum.

The police authorities, admitting challenge to hold free and fair polls in the region on May 5, had already deployed large contingents of central forces. The para-military forces have started holding flag marches in the area to instil confidence in the electorate.

Political observers said support from the Dadua gang in the last Lok Sabha and Assembly elections to the BSP was the main reason for the party's landslide victory in the region.

In 1999 Lok Sabha polls, BSP won three out of the four seats in the Bundekland region and in 2002 Assembly polls it captured 11 seats.

Dadua, who carries a reward of Rs. 5 lakh on his head, had supported the BSP in the last general and Assembly elections in the State. But in a surprise move the dacoit, against whom both the U.P. and M.P. Governments have launched several combing operations in the past, announced to support the SP last week.

Dadua's brother Balkumar Patel, who works as a mediator between the dacoit and government, had defected from the BSP to SP along with 36 gram pradhans, district panchayat members and a block pramukh during an election meeting of SP president Mulayam Singh Yadav in Banda recently.

Balkumar, who was the BSP candidate against SP's Reoti Raman Singh from Karchana assembly seat in Allahabad district, alleged the BSP and its leader Mayawati were indulging in corrupt practices that forced him to desert the party.

Shiv Kumar alias Dadua, the self-styled "Dasyu Samarat" (Bandit King) has been eluding police for more than two decades now. More than 140 cases are pending against him in both the States.

Patel claimed he had sought BSP ticket to contest the Phulpur Lok Sabha seat but the party demanded Rs. 20 lakh for the same. So he changed the party tag.

Making an indirect reference to Dadua, Balkumar claimed now the SP would win all the five seats in the belt and another four in M.P. falling in the Chambal ravines.

Meanwhile, yellow cards had been issued to as many as 1500 persons in Chitrakoot district alone identified as "couriers of dacoit gangs, operating as brokers and capable of influencing the poll process".

It is not without reason that all the candidates want Dadua's support, a Robinhood of sorts for poor Dalits, tribals and other marginalised sections. Dadua `revolted', as his relatives say, against injustice of the upper caste feudal elements against Dalits.

It was reported that the marriage of Dadua's son Vir last year was celebrated in style with at least a Minister of State, two MPs and several MLAs of the area being present. The police however claimed the dacoit did not turn up. Due to Dadua's `popularity', his mother, daughter and brother-in-law were elected in Zila Parishads and Block elections.

Balkumar, while joining the SP, spoke against the BSP candidate seeking re-election from Banda, Ramjiwan Singh Patel, who was considered a Dadua man.

Not long ago, the High Court had to intervene against the dismantling of the Special Operation Group (SOG) of the U.P. Police against Dadua. The Court stayed the transfers of the police unit which was allegedly done at the instance of the local MLA.

Dadua has survived the ravines for more than two decades. The SOG does not even have his photograph!

There is an interesting similarity between him and Veerappan active in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Dadua takes on illegal tree-fellers and has even gunned down a poacher. He has become a terror for both the forest mafia and conniving forest officials to virtually stop poaching in the area. In fact, he has won plaudits from some senior forest officials to this end.

— UNI

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Other States

News: Front Page | National | Tamil Nadu | Andhra Pradesh | Karnataka | Kerala | New Delhi | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary | Updates: Breaking News |

Stories in this Section

• 'Dadua' factor may tilt fortunes in SP's favour
• PCC working president dead

Copyright © 2004, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu