Sanjay Singh loses face in Amethi

Both the prominent candidates, Sanjay and Sharma, have their own weaknesses to cope. While Sharma is blamed for neglecting his constituency, Sanjay’s undoing happens to be his “second marriage” to former national badminton champion Syed Modi’s wife, Amita, without divorcing his first wife, Garima, who is still seen as “Raniof Amethi”.

Amita though, is trying her best to don the Rani’s mantle. Draped in expensive sarees and exquisite gold jewellery, she drives off to remote villages early in the morning, seeking vote for her “husband”, the Raja of Amethi.

But, few people seem impressed. Least of them being the Muslims who are angry with Sanjay for joining the party which “demolished Babri Masjid”.

But, wasn’t Congress equally responsible? “May be. I don’t know” says Mohd Ishak of Jais town claiming that his community was a traditional voter of the Rajiv Gandhi family.Others like Abdul Gafoor of Jamo township, do not hold Congress responsible for the Babri Mosque demolition at all. Gafoor, himself a clergy, feels a Prime Minister can be helpless if the Chief Minister was in collusion with demolishers. Mohammad Rashid, a septugenarian landless farmer feels Rajiv being an innocent soul, was misled by those surrounding him.

The BSP has fielded an influential Muslim Gujjar, Mohd Naim, from Amethi but even his owncommunity isn’t likely to vote for him. “Our prime objective is to defeat the BJP which is why instead of Naim we will vote for Capt Sharma” says Abdul Aziz, himself a Gujjar.

There are a large number of illiterate people in Amethi, who think the Congress candidate here was Sonia and not Satish Sharma.

People like Rakesh Bahadur, a thakur farmer, feel indebted to Gandhi family for the good already done to the constituency. “Rajivji turned Amethi into a heaven. Thanks to a canal adjoining my fields, I never face problems in irrigating them” he claims.

Congress too is taking advantage of Sanjay’s matrimonial status. “Can you hope that a person who did not defend his family’s Garima (honour), will defend Amethi’s honour” a local leader asked a mammoth crowd assembled at Gandhinagar to hear Sonia yesterday. The answer was a resounding no.

Capt Sharma has been winning from Amethi for last two elections in the name of protecting Rajiv Gandhi’s legacy. “I like Bharat, am keeping Ram’s khadoun(slippers)” Sharma himself admits he was warming the seat for a member of Gandhi family.

Sharma defeated the BJP candidate, Raja Mohan Singh by 40,000 votes only during 1996 elections when Samajwadi Party had withdrawn its candidate in his favour. The poor margin could be attributed to his scam-tainted image which has given some hope to Sanjay Singh.

Lost in political wilderness for the past eight years, Sanjay has adopted a rigorous campaign schedule. He has already set up election offices in entire constituency while Sharma was still mobilising party workers. But, Sonia’s visit seems to have given another lease of life Satish Sharma.