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National

National

Bahraich to decide Beni's future

`Prestige fight' between him and Mulayam Singh

Bahraich: This constituency will be the scene of a "prestige fight" between Samajwadi Party chief and Chief Minister Mulayam Singh and rebel party leader Beni Prasad Verma when it goes to the polls on Monday.

Mr. Verma, who formed the Samajwadi Kranti Dal (SKD) after parting ways with Mr. Singh, has fielded former Union Minister Arif Mohammad Khan's wife Reshma Arif to taken on powerful State Minister Waqar Ahmed Shah in Bahraich.

One of the founder members of the Samajwadi Party, Mr. Verma broke away from Mr. Singh after the latter turned down his demand for denying a ticket to Mr. Shah, whom Mr. Verma alleged was behind the killing of a party worker a few months ago.

"The result will decide Mr. Verma's political future," said a SKD worker.

The contest would have been a one-sided affair in favour of Mr. Shah -- who won here in the 2002 Assembly polls by defeating the BJP candidate by over 14,000 votes -- but for the entry of Reshma, whose husband wields tremendous influence in the area.

Mr. Khan won the Bahraich Lok Sabha seat in 1984 and 1989 though he lost in subsequent elections. That he commands influence over voters here can be gauged from the fact that even as a BJP candidate in the last Lok Sabha polls, he had led in this Assembly segment where Muslims and Kurmis make up 35 per cent and 15 per cent of the population respectively. Former district panchayat president Bhuvnesh Mishra said: "Mr. Khan is acceptable to all sections of society because of his secular and progressive image and besides, he has a national stature."

"He speaks for everyone and not for a community," Mr. Mishra said. SKD flags fluttering atop houses in Brahmin Tola and other Hindu areas bear testimony to his claim.

Mr. Verma, a Kurmi, has been harping on his "humiliation" at Mr. Singh's hands to strike an emotional chord with members of his community. "Teach Mr. Singh a lesson," he tells Kurmis in his election meetings.

But the Kurmis numbering about 40,000 are likely to throw their weight behind the SKD. "Mr. Khan has a bigger stature. He is progressive and even Hindus support him," said Kamar Ahmed of Buxipura locality.

Babri Masjid Action Committee district convenor Shakeel Ahmed Kidwai said: "Mr. Khan's acceptability among all sections is working to his advantage. Though Mr. Khan is no longer in the BJP, even there he maintained his secular leanings." Mr. Khan claims his wife will win "hands down". "We have no competition here. Every section of society is with us."

Mr. Shah, who started his political career as an assistant of Mr. Khan, is undeterred. "Muslims are with Mulayam. He has done so much for them. The government has taken several steps for the welfare of the people," he claimed.

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