The fight for Rae Bareli: Beyond 'emotions', when local issues find resonance

As workers and political parties go on full throttle in aiming for the prestigious victory, locals see the humdrum associated with the polling as only a momentary event

Two days ahead of May 20-- the day when Rae Bareli goes to polls, a lingering unease seems to have engulfed the residents, even when political bigwigs from Congress-SP combine and BJP make the last minute effort to mobilise the electorate with tall electoral promises.

As a group of youth sporting the Samajwadi Party's red cap and waving the Congress flag make their way towards Gol Chauraha, the epicentre of Rae Bareli, after a lively speech by Rahul Gandhi, glaring questions of daily sustenance, employment opportunities and avenues for a brighter future appear strikingly on each of their faces as they stop briefly to distribute glasses of sugarcane juice.

The electorate mindful of the development ushered in by the Gandhi parivar, now ask emotively, when will we get over the past and march ahead with other regions of India?

Once Raebareli's pride, now in limbo

Ashish Singh, General Secretary, Shramik Sangh, Indian Telephone Industries, Rae Bareli lamenting over the changing fortunes says: "Rae Bareli was known for ITI. The facility gave employment to thousands of people and number of ancillary sectors were dependent on it. But now, it is on verge of closure. Production is zero, salaries are paid out of recovery package given by the UPA government back in 2009-2010."

Echoing similar sentiments, Ashish Mishra, who owns a garage said Spinning Wheel Factory, Dariyapur Sugar Mill, Seena Textiles, all started by former PM Indira Gandhi have shut down. Why there is no effort from successive regimes to restart them and give meaningful employment to people? asked Mishra.

Rampant practice of land grabbing

A charge echoed by several elders of Munshiganj, an area with the town remit, finds mention among several members of the minority communities. Mohammed Shakeel, a construction workers highlights the issue of land grabbing by local strongmen. Rae Bareli is bearing the brunt of this unlawful practice of land grabbing. "On one hand the regime in Lucknow is acting tough on dreaded criminals, and on the other, local strongmen are engaging in rampant land grabbing.

When important issues don't dominate poll narrative

Sabrina Begum, a resident of Rae Bareli, unequivocally says when the humdrum of elections conclude, we will have to get back to our normal lives. "The Gandhi family had initiated multiple avenues of employment, but most of them are in the state of ruin. How do we foresee a better future for ourselves?" asks the 23-year old. "NIFT set up by Sonia Gandhi has no quota for Rae Bareli students. Rae Bareli has a rural base, institutes like NIFT cannot be of any help without better higher education facilities," remarked Begum.

Locals air their grievance

Locals complain that even though an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has been opened here, the number of beds were brought down from originally planned 1000 to 300. Yogi Adityanath has shifted a section of the premier institute from Rae Bareli to Gorakhpur.

Farmers complain that a big issue in the region continues to be stray animals destroying their crops. Prahlad Mahtoo, from the Beenjh village is a farmer who says the menace of stray animals has wreaked havoc in farming circles.

As workers and political parties go on full throttle in aiming for the prestigious victory, locals see the humdrum associated with the polling as only a momentary event, while bigger issues of existence remain unresolved.