‘Transfer officials who could influence polls’

Vivek Kumar Singh fears they will influence the polls as they are from the same caste as SP candidate Bal Kumar Patel

Dreaded brigand Shiv Kumar alias ‘Dadua’ may be long dead and gone, but his shadow still looms over the electoral fight in Banda-Chitrakoot Lok Sabha constituency in Bundelkhand, Uttar Pradesh.

Congress candidate Vivek Kumar Singh is pitted against the Samajwadi Party candidate and Dadua’s younger brother, Bal Kumar Patel. In a complaint to the Election Commission of India, dated March 22, Mr. Singh alleged that Yadav and Kurmi — the caste to which Mr. Patel belongs — officials have been given key postings. From the district police chief and the Additional District Magistrate to revenue officials such as Lekhpal, everyone is from these castes, he alleged.

Allegations

Not only has Mr. Singh accused the district administration of misusing official machinery by ignoring alleged violations of the Model Code of Conduct by Mr. Patel, he has alleged that some officials were related to the SP candidate, among them ADM Anand Kumar, Sub-Divisional Magistrate C.B. Singh and Lekhpals of Gureh and Mawai villages.

In his complaint, the Congress candidate said the District Magistrate of Chitrakoot, Surendra Vikram Singh (a Kurmi OBC), was the Chief Development Officer of Mirzapur when Mr. Patel was MP there. Mr. Singh, who is the Congress MLA from Banda Sadar, has demanded the transfer of these officials.

“These officials have been appointed by the State government with the intention of influencing the polls in favour of the SP candidate,” he told The Hindu over phone.

Often referred to as the ‘Veerappan of North India’ for remaining elusive for about 32 long years in the jungles of Paatha, Dadua was gunned down in July 2007 — Mayawati was in power then — in a police encounter in Chitrakoot district. Before he was killed, the dacoit had carved out his political empire in the region with the support of Kurmis. The Samajwadi Party was quick to court Dadua’s close relatives. His son, Veer Singh, is the SP MLA from Karvi in Chitrakoot.

Mr. Patel denied the charges levelled against him. “None of my relatives have been posted here. The Election Commission can get the charges verified,” Mr. Patel told The Hindu .