Bhadohi (Uttar Pradesh) [India], May 22 (ANI): Bhadohi Lok Sabha constituency, which is set to go to polls in the sixth phase of Lok Sabha elections on May 25, is one of the 80 Lok Sabha constituencies in Uttar Pradesh.
BJP candidate for Bhadohi is Vinod Kumar Bind. He is currently an MLA from the Majhawan Assembly constituency in Uttar Pradesh and is up against Lalitesh Pati Tripathi of the Trinamool Congress. Lalitesh is the son of former UP Chief Minister Kamla Pati Tripathi. Tripathi has support from both the SP and the Congress.
A General category parliament seat, Bhadohi comprises five Legislative Assembly segments--Pratappur, Handia, Bhadohi, Gyanpur, and Aurai.
Gaining victory in Bhadohi can be a difficult task for Congress, as in the last two Lok Sabha elections, the BJP emerged victorious. In the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, Bahujan Samaj Party won the seat.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Ramesh Chand of BJP secured 510,029 votes (49.1 per cent) while BSP's Rangnath Mishra came second with 466,414 votes (44.9 per cent). Ramakant of Congress secured 25,604 votes (2.5 per cent) and stood third.
In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Virendra Singh Bind of BJP garnered 403,544 votes (41.1 per cent) while BSP's Rakesh Dhar Tripathi secured 245,505 votes (25.0 per cent). Seema Mishra of Samajwadi Party's secured 238,615 votes (24.3 per cent).
In 2009, BSP's Gorakhnath emerged victorious while SP's Chhotelal Bind was the first runner-up. Congress' Surymani Tiwari stood third.
Bhadohi, a small town in UP, is recognised worldwide for its carpet industry. On May 16, Prime Minister Narendra Modi while campaigning for Vinod Kumar, lauded the BJP for all the development work done in Uttar Pradesh and the region surrounding Bhadohi and also mentioned the carpet industry.
He had said, "Bhadohi has double the number of railway lines. Bhadohi and the entire region for the first time have seen development. The farmers will get the benefits of these works. The carpet industry of the region will also get the benefits. The new Sansad Bhavan also has carpets of Bhadohi. The carpets of Bhadohi have been kept on top in the list of One District, One Product..."
Weavers in Bhadohi, with an annual Rs 40,000 crore business turnover say the One District One Product scheme has been beneficial for them and that a return of the BJP government will help them further. Demand for hand-woven carpets from Bhadohi also known as the Carpet City has a huge demand in the international market.
Brijesh Kumar Gupta, a carpet businessman, had told ANI, "It is a business worth Rs 40 thousand crores and there is a possibility of growing further... Now the International Expo Mart has made a lot of difference because the buyers feel that we are going to a party where the product is made and we are seeing reality. If there is no mediator in between, then they are feeling comfortable."
"Road infrastructure, airports--everything has been built, it has doubled since the formation of the Modi government. There were bad road conditions ten years ago. Citizens from South Africa are big fans of Modi ji... Some US customers had stopped coming because of bad roads; everyone and international buyers are coming. Expo Mart has become a big source ..Carpet Industries is continuously progressing...," Gupta had said.
Meanwhile, Lalitesh Pati Tripathi targets the BJP over unemployment on his official X handle and says, "Youth have to choose those who provide jobs, not those who leak papers!" This is a fight to get the rights of the parents who sacrifice their own needs to make their children capable! Our aim is to provide livelihood resources to every youth."
Urging people to vote for Congress, Tripathi said, "The government which is developing other places at the cost of the people of Bhadohi will be toppled on 25th May! 25th May is the date for removing the government which is treating MNREGA workers step-motherly. The recruitment process for government jobs will start within two months, not two years. When you go to cast your vote, do think about the reason why the BJP is changing its winning candidate every time? Because they need a place to hide their face due to their misdeeds."
Notably, Uttar Pradesh, which sends the maximum number of MPs, 80, to Parliament, is voting in all seven phases. In the sixth phase of Lok Sabha elections on May 25, voting will take place in Bhadohi, Sultanpur, Pratapgarh, Phulpur, Allahabad, Ambedkar Nagar, Shrawasti, Domariyaganj, Basti, Sant Kabir Nagar, Lalganj, Azamgarh, Jaunpur, and Machhlishahr. (ANI)
