Lucknow beats the heat to get inked for Mother India
- Arijit Bose
- May 6, 2019
- 4 min read
Lucknow votes cautiously and decisively as a godman, political greenhorn and a veteran battle it out for supremacy
The polling for Lucknow is finally happening. Election day is always special for any constituency and the state capital of UP is no exception. Security has been tight. Voting has been happening at a snail’s pace. Lines of voters, alert cops and people to assist the voters have been in top form to ensure that Lucknow votes and votes well.
The feeling on ground is good. Voters in conversations are saying that the voter this time is a little more aware. He or she is not just weighing their choice wisely but are spreading the word on polling through multiple media, so that that one crucial vote is not wasted.
There is excitement and keenness to see a changed India aplenty amidst the local populace. Between the BSP – SP – RLD candidate Poonam Sinha, BJP’s Rajnath Singh and Congress candidate Acharya Pramod Krishnam along with a number of independents, the fight for Begum Akhtar’s Lucknow is proving to be a battle royal worth following.
Overheard in the voting line was a person who said this time the businessmen who until last time had a casual approach towards voting have bothered to come out and get inked. There have also been calls for online voting via biometrics so that one gets the freedom to vote without hassles.
There are two different kind of poll pundits. One who say that Rajnath Singh as the current MP will get a walkover with weaker opponents helping in the cakewalk. The other viewpoint in the state tells the follower of politics that no party can clearly claim supremacy in this year’s general election.
Many either lined up from early morning to cast that first vote or there were late entrants who weathered the heat to cast a ballot. Polling officials were seen in the polling centres from a day before who were preparing well in advance for Mandate 2019 in Lucknow.
Some had to catch a train, a flight, some had official engagements and the young and old despite personal constraints ensured that the right to universal franchise was made full use of.
Lucknow has predominantly been a BJP bastion since as early as 1991.
Currently represented by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, the Lucknow seat is known for sending topguns like Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna, Sheila Kaul and Atal Bihari Vajpayee to Lok Sabha. Not just politically but even as an embodiment of composite culture, Lucknow holds its own in the 21st century, rubbing shoulders with metropolitan cities. While Rajnath Singh has maintained a moderate streak by meeting religious leaders of all hues, the Congress has not seen any heavyweights canvassing for its candidate and Poonam Sinha tried to use daughter Sonakshi Sinha to capture the mindspace of Lucknowites.
This even though, reportedly the decency levels in Lucknow have been a cut above the rest.
With a major Muslim population, the Muslim vote will be crucial. For now the Shia community has pledged support to the BJP.
As a parliamentary constituency, Lucknow comprises of assembly segments namely – Lucknow West, Lucknow North, Lucknow East, Lucknow Central and Lucknow Cantt.
As an alliance that plans to bring in a secular formation, Mayawati-led BSP is contesting 38 Lok Sabha seats of total 80 seats, Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party is contesting 37 seats and Chaudhary Ajit Singh’s RLD on three seats. It leaves room for two namely Congress’ Sonia Gandhi (Raebareli) and Rahul Gandhi (Amethi).
As of 31st January 2019, the constituency has 19,58,847 voters – 10,54,133 male, 9,04,628 female and 86 others. Polling across Lucknow is happening in 1826 polling booths.
Among the fifteen candidates in Lucknow who are in fray the lesser known faces include Amar Kumar Raizada of Akhil Bharatiya Jan Sangh, Kapil Mohan Chowdhary of the Mera Adhikar Rashtriya Dal, Ganesh Chaudhary of Saaf Party, Girish Narain Pande of Sarvodaya Bharat Party, Haji Fahim Siddiqui of Indian National League, Dev Narayan Singh of People’s Party of India (Democratic), Ramesh of All India Forward Bloc, Ram Sagar Pal of Awami Samta Party, Shamim Khan of Nagrik Ekta Party along with independents namely Avinash Chandra Jain, Jimidar Singh Yadav and Sanjay Singh Rana
These were names shortlisted from a list of 49 applications, of whom, nominations of 36 people were rejected. Only one woman is contesting from the constituency this time.
As a political nerve centre not only for UP but in the overall calculation when we look at India, Lucknow has always been known to give a mature lot a chance to rule. Amidst the hits and misses of consecutive parties in power, it is the Lucknow voter who has often been responsible for steering the national decision forward with care.
In the broader scheme of things, UP has pride of place for many a Indian also because it has given to the country, the highest number of PMs.
Of the 14 Prime Ministers, eight of them have been from Uttar Pradesh (UP).
The first PM Jawaharlal Nehru contested from UP.
The second was Lal Bahadur Shastri from Varanasi, UP a staunch Congressman.
Indira Gandhi was third Prime Minister of India and came from Allahabad.
The much revered Chaudhary Charan Singh was the fifth and he came from Ghaziabad
Born in Maharashtra, Rajiv Gandhi, contested from Amethi.
The seventh PM, Vishwanath Pratap Singh was born and chosen from UP.
Born in UP’s Ballia, Chandra Shekhar too was a choice of the UP’s electorate voting.
But the one who changed the very course for BJP in UP, especially Lucknow was the legendary orator and statesman, Atal Bihari Vajpayee the 10th Prime Minister of India.
As elections enter its last few phases, all eyes will be on May 23 when India finally gets to know what her future government looks like.
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