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Journalism of Courage
This is Maudaha8217;s last Assembly poll battle. Spread over 45 kilometres, it has just 2.5 lakh voters. So, the constituency has been scrapped in the delimitation process. In the 2012 Assembly elections, Maudaha will become a part of the neighbouring Hamirpur and Raath constituencies.
While the BSP has fielded sitting MLA Badshah Singh, earlier with the BJP, the SP8217;s candidate is Chiraiya Prajapati, a well-known folk singer from the Bundelkhand region. Singh, by his own admission, has about 50 cases against him at his native village of Kharela in Mahoba. He flouts a collection of weapons ranging from 9 mm pistol to AK-47, and is always accompanied by armed members of his 8220;Insaaf Sena8221;.
He proudly lists many cases in which members of his 8220;Insaaf Sena8221; abducted or beat up policemen and officials of the district administration in the cause of 8220;social service8221;. Contesting from this constituency since 1989, Singh has been elected MLA thrice. His rival, SP candidate Chiraiya, says: 8220;The public have made me a singer, and they will make me an MLA too. If he uses guns to threaten voters, I will use my songs to lure them.8221;
Till 14 years back, Chiraiya was a labourer, earning Rs 10-15 as a daily wager. But her paeans in praise of SP grabbed the party8217; s attention. Although she is originally from MP, Chiraiya recently bought a house in Fatehpur to show that she is a native of UP. She earlier contested as an SP candidate from Maharajpur in Madhya Pradesh, but lost. Incidentally, she is the first OBC to fight from this seat.
