They refused to vote because of Kalyan, vow to turn out now and shut his son out

Bhargain, nearly 65 km from Etah city, has 31,000 residents, all Muslim. The villagers are traditionally SP supporters. The party had not fielded any candidate in 2009 to enable Kalyan to win.

The SP candidate now is Kunwar Devendra Singh Yadav, who lost in 2009 on a BSP ticket. Devendra had won on an SP ticket in 2004 and 1999. The BJP had won in 1998, 1996, 1991 and 1989.

Villagers have called family members working in Gujarat and Maharashtra home to vote. Abdullah Khan, chairman of Bhargain Nagar Panchayat, said around 16,000 people from the village work outside UP, over 70 per cent of them in Gujarat.

“All are SP supporters but the village boycotted the 2009 elections because the SP had joined hands with Kalyan Singh. Muslims cannot accept Kalyan,” Abdullah said.

Shahid Khan, 37, who owns a brick kiln in Gujarat, returned last week and will vote with 10 others of his family. He had not voted in the 2012 assembly polls when the village supported the SP. The village is in Patiyali assembly segment which Najeeva Khan Zeenat won as SP candidate.

In 2012, the SP parted ways with Kalyan Singh. Of the five assembly seats in Etah, the SP won four.

“As Kalyan Singh is not with the SP this time and Akhilesh Yadav government has started development in the village, my family will vote for the SP,” Shahid said. He said villagers want development but Kalyan Singh as MP did nothing for this village because he did not get votes here.

Mohammad Tahir, 66, a farmer, has 25 voters in his family. “There are people of my family in Ahmedabad. They are likely to come back to vote for the SP next week,” Tahir said. He added lack of development had been another reason for boycotting the 2009 polls.

Abdullah said Akhilesh Yadav had visited Kasganj a few months back to distribute laptops. “On his directives, electric wires have been changed on poles after nearly 35 years,” Abdullah said.

Most houses are well constructed, almost all have power, and the village has cement roads, solar panels, a bank, a community health centre, primary and intermediate schools, and a petrol pump.

The BSP candidate is a retired engineer, Noor Mohammad Khan. The Mahan Dal, in alliance with the Congress, has fielded Jogendra Singh, a businessman.