REGISTERED ADDRESS: Bhira Kheri, Kheri district, Uttar Pradesh, in 1989 ON THE SPOT: A clinic run by the founder of the long defunct party In Bhira village of Kheri district, about 30 km from the Nepal border, three small shops stand near the post office. One of these, with no board or name, is the clinic of “Doctor” Maganlal Nidar. From here, Maganlal, now 67, ran the Rashtriya Samaj Sevak Dal in 1989. Today, few in the village have heard about such a party. Read | Poll panel lists 200 parties that exist mostly on paper, will send it to Income Tax for action Watch: UP Elections: Mulayam Singh Yadav Ruled Out Alliance, Announces Candidates For 325 Seats Maganlal, who studied till XII, is known as a doctor in the village, having run the clinic since the 1970s after having worked as a doctor’s assistant in Palia earlier. Read | Parties on Paper: This party died long ago, left behind 70-year-old PM fan Before setting up a party of his own, he claims to have been with Maneka Gandhi’s Sanjay Vichar Manch and later with Chandra Shekhar’s Janata Party. He said he left the Janata Party as he was not given a ticket. He said his party has been inactive for more than a decade. Maganlal said he and three others had founded it with the objective of “creating a samatamulak samaj”. “We contested elections to three assembly seats of Kheri in 1991 but failed to win.” he said. “We never received any substantial donations either, so there was no need to file audit reports. At one time we had about 500 members.” In 1993, he said, he offered support to Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and has remained his supporter ever since. “I found Mulayam was working to achieve the same objectives as our party, such as cheap medical care and housing for all. I decided to support him and his party’s candidates. People here know me as an SP supporter now,” said Maganlal. He wished the party would have remained active but admitted he didn’t find support. “I had to look after my three sons and daughter and there was no one else to help me with the party’s work. Now I want to contest an election but I have no money.” Maganlal, a Dalit, is not a fan of BSP chief Mayawati but admires the policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Modi is an honest politician. His policies are for the poor. But I cannot help supporting Mulayam,” he said.
