Bundelkhand has three kinds of voters: those who support Narendra Modi even if he has done only “cosmetic” changes; those who want to defeat him purportedly because he has made empty promises; and those who want to defeat the sitting MPs because they ignore the people after elections.
The region in Uttar Pradesh has four parliamentary seats — Banda, Hamirpur, Jhansi and Jalaun — all held by the BJP since 2014. With the BJP having a grip on Bundelkhand, what’s the narrative as the region prepares to poll on Monday?
The lack of jobs is one for sure. As Naman Kumar Dwivedi of Jhansi’s Mauranipur area says: “The Modi government has stopped giving jobs. I have been waiting for a vacancy in Indian Railways since 2019 because I don’t want a private firm job. Modi must create opportunities for us.”
But in the same breath, Naman, who completed his polytechnic course in 2022, adds: “I’ll vote for Modi again because he is good. He made the Ram temple in Ayodhya and roads all over the state.”
Middle-aged Jawahar Patel and Suman Devi Singh of Baruasagar area feel otherwise.
“The BJP government trapped us by promising free electricity. We agreed to take power connection in 2019 and then the electricity department started sending us bills every month. I sell roasted gram to run my family. I don’t wear proper clothes and don’t have money to buy clothes for my children. How am I going to pay my electricity bills? The local officers say I have to pay the rental even if I disconnect it,” says Suman.
Patel, a farmer, says: “I get ₹6,000 a year under the Kisan Samman Nidhi but the rate of fertiliser has gone up to ₹1,800 for a bag. The electricity rate has also increased. The government took from us more than what it gave back.”
But he is tight-lipped on who he will vote for. “It’s my mann ki baat,” he quips, referring to the Prime Minister’s radio talk.
The region’s problems don’t end there.
Bundelkhand has seen over three dozen protests in the last two years over drinking water supply under the Namami Gange Programme and corruption in the free foodgrain distribution system.
The poor get only 3.5kg instead of the promised 5kg of foodgrain per month.
Analysing the situation, an editor of a literary magazine in Chitrakoot, who spoke under cover of anonymity, said: “The Samajwadi Party doesn’t appear honest in its fight against the Modi government. The only seat where we can see an INDIA bloc
candidate campaigning is Jhansi, where the Congress has nominated Pradeep Jain Aditya.”
“But I agree that the situation is in favour of the INDIA bloc because people have not got any substantial benefit of Modi’s welfare schemes,” the editor added.
Bundelkhand is broadly divided between Brahmin, who have some influence on a section of the OBC and Scheduled Caste electorate, and non-Brahmin voters.
The editor went on to elaborate: “Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party is damaging the BJP’s prospects in two seats. The BSP has fielded Mayank Dwivedi, son of a former BSP leader, from Banda and he will get the support of some Brahmins. She has fielded Nirdosh Kumar Dixit from Hamirpur. The Brahmin vote may be split in both seats.”
Villagers in Harsundi in Hamirpur constituency staged a demonstration on Tuesday because they don’t have drinking water since May 1. One of them said: “The pipes leak and water flows into the sewer. We met our MP (Pushpendra Singh Chandel) last week, but we were told he would look into the problem after a few days. This means we have to be thirsty till then or bring water from the only functional hand pump on the campus of the local government school. We don’t know how long this hand pump will bear our burden.”
Bundelkhand votes on May 20
