The sitting Samajwadi Party legislator is facing a strange predicament — his nephew Anshul Verma is contesting parliamentary elections on a BJP ticket from Hardoi.
Even though Anshul Verma is a lesser known name in political circles, he is giving all other candidates a run for their money because of the Narendra Modi factor. People here are not going for the candidate but for Modi.
Anshul Verma’s uncle Shyam Prakash is a MlA from Gopamau constituency in Hardoi district. In the 2012 Assembly elections, as SP candidate Shyam Prakash won the Gopamau seat which was created after the delimitation.
Verma is a native of Pushpatali Village under Tadiyawan block and is contesting for the first time. An advocate by profession Verma had never been an active politician. In Hardoi the main fight is between the BJP, Shiv Prasad Verma of the BSP and Usha Verma of the SP. The Congress has fielded Sarvesh Janseva.
However, BJP supporters believe Anshul has a clear edge because of the Modi wave across the district. “We are voting for Modi and not for Anshul Verma,” said a farmer and advocate Anil Kumar Mishra, a native of Hardoi.
Though the SP’s “Cycle” enjoyed a comfortable run here in the 2009 general elections as-well-as in the 2012 Assembly elections, this time the party may have to encounter a number of potholes.
Usha Verma, sitting MP of SP, is once again in the fray from Hardoi lok Sabha seat, hoping to score a hat-trick. She had won the seat in 1998 and 2009 on the SP ticket.
The stakes are high for Usha. The anti-incumbency factor against the Akhilesh-led SP Government is going against the party candidate here in a big way. People in Hardoi are also not happy with the false promises made by the sitting MP. The pace of development has been low in the district.
“Usha had promised much but did nothing for the development of the region. There is no proper road in the village. Electricity disruption is a perennial problem being face by villagers. This time also she is making the same promises that she made earlier. We will vote for Modi. Why should we vote for her when there is no development,” said Dinesh Singh, a former Gram Pradhan of Sathra Village.
Though SP’s Rajya Sabha MP Naresh Agarwal is leaving no stone unturned to ensure Usha Verma’s victory, his efforts may go in vain as the BSP’s Shiv Prasad Yadav is also campaigning with gusto and has the support of the BSP’s strong SC vote bank.
