UP Election 2022 | Parties go full-throttle in battle for Bundelkhand

The ruling BJP faces its biggest challenge from the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party in the seven-phase UP assembly election that end on March 7

Budget 2022-23 tabled by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1 surprised many people because it largely steered clear of announcements for the five poll-bound states.

However, the finance minister did say that the government has earmarked Rs 1,400 crore for implementation of the Ken-Betwa river-linking project, which will bring surplus water from the Ken river in Madhya Pradesh to irrigate the drought-prone Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh.

READ | MC Election LIVE Updates February 17: PM Modi addresses public meeting in Punjab's Fazilka

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi appear to have a special relationship with Bundelkhand, which sends 19 legislators to the 403-member state assembly.

‘Mission Bundelkhand’

Ahead of the 2017 assembly polls, Modi launched the BJP’s ‘Mission Bundelkhand’ from Mahoba. This was his first visit to Mahoba, one of the backward districts. The focus on the region seemed to have worked and the BJP bagged all 19 seats in Bundelkhand in the 2017 election.

Also, read | UP Elections 2022: Faster growth key to easing pressure on state's finances  

The BJP and the opposition parties have shifted their attention to Bundelkhand, spread across seven districts, which votes in two phases – 13 seats in Jhansi, Jalaun, Lalitpur, Hamirpur and Mahoba districts in the third phase on February 20, and six seats in Chatrakoot and Banda districts in the fourth phase on February 24.

In the run-up to the ongoing UP assembly polls, Modi, accompanied by chief minister Yogi Adityanath, inaugurated developmental projects worth Rs 6,250 crore in Mahoba and Jhansi districts on November 19.

BJP won all 19 seats of Bundelkhand in UP Assembly polls, 2017

Adityanath lashed out at previous governments on February 16, accusing them of ruining the region by handing over its natural resources and forests to mafia elements who “looted” them. Adityanath, addressing public meetings in Hamirpur and Mahoba, said the previous Bahujan Samaj Party and Samajwadi Party governments took turns to loot the region.

“A lot was said and done in the name of ‘nalkoop’ (tube wells) and handpumps, but earlier governments did not disclose how water could be made available in the absence of groundwater,” the CM said.

Also, read | Punjab Elections 2022: PM Modi targets AAP at Pathankot rally, calls it photocopy of Congress

In February 2019, the Adityanath-led government set up the Bundelkhand Development Board (BDB) to accelerate developm­ent in the region.

“Drinking and irrigation projects worth over Rs 20,000 crore are under way to rid Bundelkhand of its water problems,” BDB member Pawanputra Badal told India Today magazine recently.

Koo App

भाजपा की डबल इंजन सरकार ने सिंचाई, पेयजल व बाढ़ नियंत्रण हेतु बांध परियोजनाओं का वृहद विकास किया है। झांसी के गरौठा क्षेत्र में चौधरी चरण सिंह लखेरी बांध का अवशेष कार्य पूर्ण होने के बाद अब खेती-किसानी और समृद्ध हुई है। आपका जीवन उज्ज्वल बनाने हेतु हम सदैव सेवारत हैं।

- Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) 17 Feb 2022

"Development schemes worth another Rs 30,000 crore are also in the works, including the 296-km Bundelkhand Expressway connecting the region directly to the Agra-Lucknow Expressway,” Badal said.

Among the reasons for underdevelopment of Bundelkhand are sparse rainfall and depletion of the water table, leading to a shortage of drinking and irrigation water in the region where farmers comprise almost 70 percent of the workforce.

The farmers earn Rs 7,658 a year, on average, according to a report by the United Nations Development Programme. This translates to Rs 638 a month or about Rs 21 a day.

Things have changed over the years in the region, according to Mahoba-based activist Tara Patkar.

"There has been improvement in the condition of roads. The power (electricity) situation has also increased. There has been a focus on improving drinking and irrigation water supply. People may not be happy with their local MLAs, but over all they are happy with the government," Patkar, who founded Bundeli Samaj and the country's first Roti Bank besides coordinating a campaign to start AIIMS in Mahoba, told MoneyControl.

Frenzy of political activity

The rush of politicians from all parties to Bundelkhand is a measure of its electoral significance. Among them was Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who campaigned in the Maudaha assembly constituency in Hamirpur district and the Kalpi seat in Jalaun district on February 14, the second phase of the polls in UP.

“My dear sisters and brothers of UP, vote for development and progress. Cast your vote to bring about a new politics in Uttar Pradesh that is connected with the people’s issues,” Vadra told voters.

The BJP swept the election in 2017, while the Congress party won only seven seats. The Congress party’s best performance in Bundelkhand in the recent past was when it bagged four seats in 2012.

The ruling BJP faces its biggest challenge from the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party in the seven-phase polls that end on March 7. The Bundelkhand region has been a challenge for the SP as well – its best performance was in the 2007 polls, when it won six seats here.

This time, the party started its focus on the region very early, with a ‘Vijay Yatra’ by former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav in October. The party has since poached many leaders from other parties, including the BSP’s Arimardan Singh, Congress’ Gayadin Anuragi and Manoj Tiwari. Other Backward Class leaders, including Swami Prasad Maurya, who have joined the SP, will help the party in reaching out to the 35 percent backward community voters in Bundelkhand.

Yadav, during a meeting in Bundelkhand on February 14, attacked the ruling BJP for not fulfilling its promises.

“The government has announced that a defence corridor will come up, which will change the face and destiny of Bundelkhand… they said missiles will be made here… has anyone here seen that defence corridor anywhere?” Yadav asked. He addressed two public meetings in Hamirpur and one each in Jhansi and Mahoba.

Also, read | Punjab Polls 2022 | Why Jalandhar will be an interesting contest to watch

The region, with a sizeable Dalit population, had been a BSP stronghold until 2012, after which the BJP started making inroads. The Mayawati-led BSP had won seven seats in Bundelkhand in 2012 and 10 seats in 2007.

Speaking in Orai on February 14, the BSP chief cautioned the people not to fall for rumours that the party was not contesting this election seriously and reminded them of its “good governance” when she was chief minister between 2007 and 2012.

“BSP is fighting with full might to form a government with full majority and return the ache din that we gave in our previous government,” Mayawati said.