Faizabad (Uttar Pradesh): It is the land of Lord Ram, celebrating the return of the deity after 500 years. Yet the Faizabad constituency, which ensconces Ayodhya city, has not been kind to women as the constituency has never elected a woman candidate since 1951.
The major political parties have not fielded any woman candidates and the ones who did contest were independents.
Former UP chief minister Suchitra Kripalani did contest the Faizabad seat in 1971 but lost.
“There is no specific reason why women have not won from here. Major political parties did not field women candidates and this could be a reason,” says Rakesh Tiwari, a local journalist.
This year’s election is rather special for Faizabad, now renamed as Ayodhya district.
The year marks the opening of the grand Ram temple and also the massive infrastructural development of the holy city.
“The BJP has completely transformed Ayodhya with a new airport, railway station, new roads and other projects. The temple is now the focal point of the city and devotees’ footfall has swelled, giving a major boost to the economy,” says Lallu Singh, the sitting BJP MP and also the candidate.
Lallu Singh, a Thakur, is seeking his third term as a Member of Parliament and is known as one of the most accessible and affable leaders in the party.
Lallu Singh is being challenged by Samajwadi Party’s Awadhesh Prasad who belongs to the Pasi caste group in the SC category. Awadhesh Prasad is the sitting SP MLA from Milkipur which is one of the assembly segments in Faizabad Lok Sabha.
Lallu Singh’s position has been further strengthened with Abhay Singh, an SP MLA from the neighbouring Gosainganj assembly segment, joining the BJP last month.
The campaign here, however, remains low-key and Lallu Singh says, “The planning and preparations for the Lok Sabha polls with the party workers are underway. We are making strategies with the booth workers. Under the vision and leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the NDA is surely going to win more than 400 seats in the general elections. Ayodhya is now one of the most beautiful places in the country.”
Voters in Ayodhya will cast their votes on May 20.
