The CM campaigning in Amethi, from where rape-accused Prajapati is contesting, could lead to his clean image being stained
Uttar Pradesh (UP) chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on Monday kick-started his campaign for the fourth phase of the Assembly elections from Amethi, the seat from which his tainted Cabinet minister Gayatri Prajapati is contesting.
Though Prajapati, a gang-rape accused, was conspicuous by his absence at the election rally, the Chief Minister nonetheless campaigned for his party’s candidate. Akhilesh, however, chose not to share the dais with Prajapati or name him in his speech, which party insiders said was a conscious decision to avoid any controversy, but he did make a hearty appeal to locals to vote for his party.
Political observers said that Akhilesh may have to pay a heavy price for this decision as he attained popularity among the youth for his “clean and anti-criminal image”. They warned that a message may go out to the public that he is no different from his senior party colleagues, some of whom have a reputation of supporting criminal politicians. Political analysts also pointed out that Akhilesh had, after all, built his clean image mainly by denying party tickets to alleged dons Mukhtar Abbas Ansari and former SP MP Atiq Ahmad Khan. In fact, the feud within the Yadav family intensified when Akhilesh went all out against Ansari and Khan.
Speaking at the rally at Gauriganj in Amethi district, Akhilesh exuded confidence that the SP-Congress alliance would form the next government in UP. “Samajwadi people have a habit of cycling against the wind. Samajwadis tend to leave the handle of the ‘cycle’ (its poll symbol) out of enthusiasm. But, with the Congress holding the handle of the cycle with its ‘hand’ (the Congress’ poll symbol), the journey will be a smooth one,” he said.
But Prajapati’s shadow still looms large over the SP. The UP police, on the directives of the Supreme Court, has filed an FIR against the minister in connection with two separate cases of gang- rape and attempt to rape. Meanwhile, Prajapati and eight other persons, who are accused of gang-raping a councillor from Chitrakoot, have approached the SC seeking a stay on their arrest. They also sought recall of an earlier SC order that directed the UP police to file an FIR on charges of gang-rape and molestation.
Prajapati has been the SP government’s most controversial minister. He also has several cases of land-grabbing and corruption against him. In September, Akhilesh had even sacked him from his Cabinet because of an alleged mining scam. But such has been Prajapati’s clout that not only was he reinstated in the Cabinet a week later, but was also promoted to the post of the party’s national secretary a few weeks later.
A senior party leader and a close aide of Akhilesh said the CM does not want to be associated with Prajapati, but is having to bear with him because of Mulayam, who the tainted leader is close to. The leader said, “Prajapati’s political career has seen an unprecedented rise due to his closeness to Mulayam. He was an absolute nobody in the early 2000s, but won from Amethi in 2012. He also enjoyed meteoric financial growth during these years — from being a BPL card holder in 2002 to declaring assets worth Rs 10.02 crore.”
Another party insider, however, had a different view on the matter. He said that Akhilesh is not disassociating himself from Prajapati because of the latter’s standing in the OBC community, which has a significant presence not just in Amethi but in the Raebareli-Sultanpur belt as well.
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