Gorakhpur: Political history
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History
1921- 2024 April
Mohita Tewari, May 30, 2024: The Times of India
From: Mohita Tewari, May 30, 2024: The Times of India
Gorakhpur witnessed a transformation with the construction of Vikas Bhawan in the late '80s leading to new AIIMS, fertilizer plant, and a zoological garden. The city is home to Goraksh Peeth established by Guru Gorakhnath, a key figure in its political history. Ramgarh Taal, once infamous, now boasts crystal clear water and a cruise service.
GORAKHPUR: Old-timers recall that after the construction of Vikas Bhawan in the late 80s, there was no development work worth its name that had reached Gorakhpur for over three decades. However, the elevation of its five-time MP Yogi Adityanath to the post of UP’s chief minister saw a turnaround. Now, the city is known for a new AIIMS, fertilizer plant, Ramgarh Taal and a zoological garden.Once infamous for mafia and mosquitoes, Gorakhpur has projects of Rs 40,000 crore in various stages of completion.In the late ’90s, the district had earned the sobriquet of ‘Chicago of the East’ due to the battle for supremacy between dons like Hari Shankar Tiwari and Virendra Pratap Shahi. The district also witnessed the sudden rise of gangsters like Sriprakash Shukla and other criminals.
During the last decade, especially in the last seven years of Yogi govt, a massive dip in crime rate has been reported and the district underwent a transformation with a host of development projects.
Moreover, Gorakhpur, which used to be the epicentre of encephalitis which claimed the lives of hundreds of children every year, got rid of the epidemic with the help of a targeted strategy by the Yogi govt. “As an MP, he had relentlessly campaigned for the eradication of this disease, but his efforts didn’t bring desired results due to ‘unfriendly’ govts at Centre and in the state,” says S K Tripathi, a teacher.
Residents say new roads, uninterrupted power supply and end of mosquito menace through fogging are like a “dream come true”. This time, election issues include employment, tap water supply to every household and crop losses due to stray cattle menace.
Baba Gorakhnath Reigns Supreme
Gorakhpur is home to Goraksh Peeth, established by Nath sect founder Guru Gorakhnath. Nath has been involved in political activities since the pre-independence era and remains an axis of power in UP till date. Its chief priest Mahant Digvijay Nath joined Congress in 1921 and was arrested for taking an “active part” in the Chauri Chaura incident. He joined Hindu Mahasabha in 1937. He spearheaded the Ram Janmabhoomi movement of 1949 at the end of which idols of Lord Ram appeared inside Babri Masjid. He was elected Gorakhpur MP in 1967.
His successor, Mahant Avaidyanath, was elected MLA as an independent in 1962, 1967, 1969, 1974 and 1977, and an MP from Gorakhpur in 1970 and 1989. During the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, he joined BJP and got elected as Gorakhpur MP in 1991 and 1996.
Avaidyanath’s successor Yogi Adityanath remained Gorakhpur MP for five terms from 1998 to 2017, when he vacated the seat to take over as Uttar Pradesh CM.
This time, the constituency is witnessing a fight between Bhojpuri actor-turned politician Ravi Kishan of BJP and Bhojpuri actress Kajal Nishad of SP. In the 2019 LS polls too, BJP had fielded Kishan who defeated SP’s Rambhual Nishad by over 3 lakh votes. SP is eyeing Nishad and Yadav-Muslim votes by fielding Kajal Nishad. Goraknath Temple, where Yogi is still the chief priest, continues to be a centre of attraction for all.
Gorakhpur constituency comprises five assembly segments — Campierganj, Pipraich, Gorakhpur Urban, Gorakhpur Rural and Sahjanwa – and covers the entire Gorakhpur district. There are around nine lakh OBC and six lakh upper caste voters out of which around 3.5 lakh are Nishads and 2.4 lakh Yadavs. There are 2.5 lakh Dalits and two lakh Muslims. The dominance of the riverine community of Nishads and their associated sub-castes plays a key role in poll outcome. That’s where SP’s Kajal claims her edge.
Poll Issues
Vishnu Kumar, a shopkeeper, says, “Campierganj has seen development, be it roads or lights. People will vote for development and not on caste lines,” he says.
Rajkumar Nishad, a farmer from Sahjanwa, says: “I will vote for our own candidate. If BJP wins, then it will be due to Baba’s (CM Yogi’s) charisma.” Farmers in Machhligaon, Algarpur, are upset with stray cattle menace and water crisis and say they would support the party which promises relief from these two problems.
Susheela Gaud, who is busy preparing tea and ‘jalebis’ at a tea stall at Bismipul in Campierganj, says: “People are facing water crisis and are dependent on hand pumps which are not in a good condition.”
According to farm labourers Ashok Yadav, Santosh Kumar, and Raju Nishad from Lakshmipur and Algarpur villages in Campierganj, the govt has advised people to consume piped water only as there is arsenic contamination in water. They, however, say water supply is not sufficient. A group of jute mill workers and farmers sitting at a shop near Sahjanwa railway station say the station lacks public toilets and drinking water facility. Vote For Development
“We get electricity and roads are also good. Development is taking place here,” says Susheela in Machhaligan village of Campierganj. A shop owner in Gol Ghar says that in the last few years, power supply has improved, and roads have been widened. “Sahjanwa is not developed like other parts of Gorakhpur, but it has firstclass roads and power supply,” says Umesh Yadav, a worker in a jute mill.
A group of homemakers in Gol Bazar said: “I live near Nauka Vihar and have come here for household shopping at 7pm. This is something women in Gorakhpur couldn’t think of a few years ago as chain snatching, eve-teasing and harassment were common. Now, we freely use public transport and can come out for work even late at night,” says Anubhuti Jaiswal.
Modi & Yogi Factor
New hotels, roads, sugar mills, fertilizer factories and improvement in law and order are drawing appreciation from people. “Once dead bodies used to float in Ramgarh Taal. Now, it has crystal clear water, and the cruise service has given the city a new look. Here people will vote for development and not for caste,” says Akash Yadav, who lives in Pipraich and works in a private hotel in Gorakhpur.
