On the road from Gorakhpur to Azamgarh, a small corner meeting is in progress. A makeshift stage, packed with local Bahujan Samaj Party workers, fronts a Patel Bhawan, the haunt of the local Kurmis, an OBC community.
At the microphone is Bimla Maurya, a robust young woman, dressed in a white salwar kameez, teamed with a sleeveless jacket. She sings in the local folk style, imploring those gathered to make “sister Mayawati's dreams come true.”
This is the Ramnagar chauraha in the newly delimited Assembly constituency of Madhuban in Uttar Pradesh's eastern district of Mau — earlier part of the Nathupur seat. The local BSP unit is busy trying to drum up support for the sitting party MLA, Umesh Pande, who sits silently through the proceedings.
As Bimla's song ends, she comes off stage. She is a full-time party worker who's been with the BSP since 2007, she says, but before she can reveal much more, a party colleague hustles her off to her next singing engagement.
Meanwhile, on stage, a thin young man, Shyam Bali Chauhan, is berating the MLA for not doing enough for his community who live in the nearby Ambedkar village, urging the audience to “extract a promise from Pandeji that, if re-elected, the first thing he will do is “construct a CC (concrete) road.”Chauhan says, “I understand your pain, but now is not the time to hesitate. Give Pandeji another chance, a “bumper” vote, if you believe in Kanshiram and Amebdkar. In any case, there was little Pandeji could do, with the Centre not releasing funds in time.”
But he's not finished: “If you want development, demand it, you chamars, dushads, kumhars, nishads,” he says, addressing a string of dalit and most backward communities by their names.
Next is the turn of a local lawyer and party worker, who doubles up as a singer. He gives the proceedings a national, indeed international touch: “Vote for our Bahen Mayawati,” he says, “she has gained international fame as the Iron Lady and the papers have all predicted a huge win for her,” he says, before breaking into song.
The show goes on…
