MLA Gupta faces dissent in BJP, anti-incumbency

Sandeep Rawat

Tribune News Service

Haridwar, January 13

The Laksar Assembly constituency in Haridwar is largely a rural segment where farmers-related issues dominate the elections.

According to the latest electoral figures, Laksar has a total of 94,387 voters, including 43,469 women.

In the first Assembly elections in 2002 after the creation of Uttarakhand, Independent candidate Kunwar Pranav Singh Champion (13,814 votes) defeating Qazi Mohammed Mohuiddin (12,966 votes) of the BSP. In 2007, Champion fought the elections on the Congress ticket and bagged 27,308 votes to defeat Pal Singh Kashyap of the BSP, who got 21,380 votes. In the last Assembly elections in 2012, Champion shifted to the nearby Khanpur Assembly seat and BJP candidate Sanjay Gupta (25,945 votes) defeated Haji Taslim (15,551 votes) of the BSP by 10,394 votes.

A confident Sanjay Gupta cites various development projects, namely sanction of various road projects, re-carpeting of major roads in Laksar, upgrade of several government schools, bridges, embankment walls, monitoring of rehabilitation of flood affected villagers and catering to all segments of society, as his achievements.

"I have ensured the overall development of the constituency with focus on farmers. I have personally assisted senior citizens, differently abled, widows and pensioners in availing of the benefits of social welfare schemes. I have provided most of the MLA LAD funds to the rural segment and now it's up to the voters to decide whether I have done enough when the state goes to polls on February 15," said Gupta.

Meanwhile, Haji Taslim termed Gupta's five-year term as MLA as a failure. He said the BJP legislator could not live up to the expectations of the people of Laksar. Sanjay Gupta is power hungry and arrogant," he said.

This time Gupta is facing factionalism in the party. His opponents had organised two rallies and demanded ticket for a new face. The minority community also seems to be unhappy with the BJP legislator as he has been accused by its leaders of fuelling communal tension.

Recently, Gupta had stirred a controversy with a video of his speech making derogatory comments on his rivals going viral in the social media. This episode has also come under scanner of the state Election Office and already a notice has been served on him for fuelling communal tension and hatred.

Rajesh Rastogi, an aspirant of the Congress ticket, said lack of technical educational institutes and hospitals in Laksar was the major issue.

Furkan Ali, a resident of Kharandja Qutubpur, said development had happened only on papers as claimed by the sitting legislator. The legislator rarely visited their areas to know about their problems, he added.

Leaders speak

• I have ensured the overall development of the constituency with focus on farmers. I have provided most of the MLA LAD funds to the rural segment and now it's up to the voters to decide whether I have done enough when the state goes to polls on February 15. — Sanjay Gupta, BJP MLA from Laksar
• Congress ticket aspirant Rajesh Rastogi says lack of technical educational institutes and hospitals in Laksar is the major issue.
• The five-year term of Sanjay Gupta was a total failure. The BJP legislator has failed to live up to the expectations of the people of the constituency. If people vote a leader to power, they want to witness development works. Sanjay Gupta is just power hungry and arrogant. — Haji Taslim, BSP leader