2 min readMahoba (bundelkhand)Mar 1, 2012 05:23 PM IST
First published on: Mar 1, 2012 at 05:23 PM IST
With several political turncoats having contested the February 23 polls in Mahoba,the beetle belt of Bundelkhand,a guessing game has now begun on who will emerge victorious. The 58 percent voter turn out and conflicting reports on caste combinations have further added to the suspense.
While Congress fielded ex MLA Arimardan Singh alias Nanaji,who has so far joined and resigned from half a dozen parties,the BJP candidate has also made quick U turns between BJP and BSP in his long political career. Same is the case with Samjawadi Party candidate Sidhagopal Sahu and BSP candidate Rajnarayan Budhoulia.
Like several parts of Bundelkhand,in Mahoba too,voters’ disgust with the candidates came to fore on polling day. Six booths of Hamirpur district under which Mahoba constituency falls recorded zero voting.
In 2006,the Panchayati Raj Ministry named Mahoba as one of the 250 most backward districts in India. It is also one of 34 districts in Uttar Pradesh currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).
“For five years,the area faced drought. Only last year,it rained a bit. There is nothing except boulders and hillocks here. It is a very difficult life we lead,” says Indrajit Singh at Kakarbai. “Wait for the counting” is his response when asked which political party is likely to win the seat.
Shiva Ravidas at Mahoba bazar says,”Earlier our votes were cast to one party. We used to decide much earlier whom to vote. But nowadays it is divided.”
Unemployment is the bigggest problem of villagers in Muslim-dominated Hanthikhana,where there is a large number of Rangrejs (weavers specialising in colouring cloths). Low water supply is another problem in Mahoba.
The assembly seat has over 45,000 votes of Thakurs,over 30,000 Brahmins,an equal number of Kushwahas and almost 25,000 Muslim votes. Almost 40 per cent of total voters of Mahoba are Dalits.
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