Charkhari is called the “Kashmir of Bundelkhand” but its tourism infrastructure remains stillborn. Located in south Uttar Pradesh, Bundelkhand is the sprawling state’s most impoverished region, its arid land and paucity of industry driving its people to travel to Chhattisgarh to work in brick kilns.

But many in Charkhari, a town with scenic hills, lakes and temples, will on Sunday still vote for the ruling BJP, even if it means bringing back the MLA they describe as “worthless”.

“This candidate should be defeated, he is worthless,” Tara Patkar, a resident of Charkhari in Mahoba district, says of Brijbhushan Rajput, the BJP nominee and sitting MLA. “But what can I do, I will vote for him because this is about the nation, this is about Narendra Modi,” he adds.

Patkar is the convener of the Bundeli Samaj, a social organisation demanding statehood for Bundelkhand.

“The BJP has not done much for this place except distributing free food grains during the pandemic. Brijbhushan is a rogue and misbehaves with the people. He doesn’t spare his own Lodh (OBC) castemen. The Lodhs number about 70,000 in this constituency of 3,46,000 voters,” Patkar says.

Charkhari is 230km south of Lucknow. In 2017, the BJP had won all 17 seats in Bundelkhand. Votes of OBCs, the dominant class here, were split between the BJP and Mayawati’s BSP last time.

About this election, Hanif Ahmad, who runs a travel agency in Charkhari, says: “There were voters among the Lodhs who wanted to support the Samajwadi Party. Unfortunately, Akhilesh Yadav replaced the candidate, Ajendra Singh Rajput, with Ram Jivan Yadav.” Ram Jivan is from Jhansi and is considered an outsider.

Patkar and Ahmad are of the opinion that Charkhari is headed for a triangular fight between the BJP, SP and the BSP. The BSP has fielded Vinod Rajput — a Lodh, the most influential caste in the area.

“People are angry with Brijbhushan. Only 30 per cent Lodhs are with him, the rest are with the BSP. Some floating Lodh votes could go to Santosh Singh Rajput of the Bhagidari Parivartan Morcha (an alliance of smaller parties) and Prem Narayan Rajput of the Aam Admi Party,” Ahmad says. “A split in BJP votes may prove to be a boon for the SP. But nationalistic feelings will benefit the BJP.”

Local businessman Rajendra Pandey says Charkhari is one of the most picturesque places in the country with tremendous tourism potential but has been ignored by the BJP.

“The Brahmin voters wanted to vote for Nirdosh Dixit but they don’t want to support his party, the Congress, which ignored the area after independence. Still, the Brahmin candidate could get around 20,000 votes from his castemen and traditional Congress backers. But the remaining 35,000-odd Brahmins are expected to stay with the BJP,” Pandey says.

The BJP and the SP had won Charkhari in 1996 and 2002, respectively. In 2007 and 2012, the seat went with the BSP and the BJP, respectively. It supported the SP in the 2014 and 2015 by-elections.

“I would say don’t take the BSP lightly as there are 63,000 Dalits here from Mayawati’s caste. Their votes, plus sections of Lodhs, could make the BJP bite the dust. But we don’t know how many Dalits will be here during voting. Many have left for other places in search of livelihood,” Pandey says.

Residents say Govind Ballabh Pant, the first chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, had called Charkhari “the Kashmir of Bundelkhand” because of its hills, lakes and ponds.

Charkhari also has 108 temples to Radha-Krishna, which is why it has earned the epithet “mini Vrindavan”.

Sanjay Rajput, an undergraduate student, says: “Around 35 per cent families here were below the poverty line in 1955. This has gone up to 62 per cent now. I am quoting from reports of the district civil supplies department and many NGOs. The BJP is hopeful of getting the votes of the BPL population that has been receiving 25kg of food grains and one litre cooking oil a month in the name of the pandemic.The poor don’t know what will happen after March, till when the scheme is to run.”

“The BJP claims it cares for the culture of India. Do they know this was a theatre hub till the 1970s? There was the Royal Theatre with artistes from Calcutta,” Sanjay says, adding he will vote for the BSP.

“Every political party promises that it will beautify the ponds and lakes here. We have the Deori Darwaza — a magnificent medieval-era gate — and the Mangalgarh Fort, which was built by Maharaja Jagatraj Singh, son of Maharaja Chatrasal Bundela who had challenged the supremacy of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. They promise to beautify the Gorakhgiri Parvat, where Guru Gorakshanath had done tapasya, and the Khakhra Math, a temple to Lord Shiva. But nothing has been done,” Sanjay adds.

Chief minister Adityanath is the head of the Nath sect, which was founded by Gorakshnath. Adityanath is also the mahant of the Gorakshnath temple in Gorakhpur.