Kanpur: Democracy was once again restored in Bikru village that had witnessed the brutal massacre of eight policemen, including a deputy SP in July last year.
People going to cast their votes looked excited because this time they were going to send to the state assembly public representatives of their choice.
Though people of this village had taken part in voting, they could not vote for the candidate of their choice as the fear of ‘farman’ (diktat) of gangster Vikas Dubey loomed large all over Bikru.
After the killing of gangster Vikas Dubey, this was the first assembly election in which people were desperate to vote to elect representatives of their choice. There was over 62.31 percent voting on Sunday.
Villagers said after the successful culmination of panchayat elections, this was probably the second time when they are voting without any fear. Else, those who even dared to think and desired to vote for any other candidate were tortured by the gangster and his aides,” said Shailendraa local.
“Democracy or elections have no meaning here in Bikru. None could campaign here as Dubey would field candidates of his choice. This time, people contested the elections and went door-to -door and sought votes,” said an elderly man Noor Alam, a local of Bikru.
A group of villagers said that this time no one threatened them. They had cast their vote for the candidate of their choice. “The time has changed,” they added.
Bikru comes under Bilhaur constituency.
Gangster Dubey was himself elected unopposed as the head of Bikaru gram panchayat in 1995.
In 2005, Anjali Dubey, the wife of Dubey’s younger brother Deep Dubey, was elected unopposed as the head of Bikru gram panchayat.
In the panchayat elections of 2010, after this seat was declared a reserved seat for the backward classes, Dubey had then got elected Rajinikanth Kushwaha as head of Bikru village.
In 2015, Dubey made his younger brother’s wife Anjali the head of Bikru gram panchayat.
People going to cast their votes looked excited because this time they were going to send to the state assembly public representatives of their choice.
Though people of this village had taken part in voting, they could not vote for the candidate of their choice as the fear of ‘farman’ (diktat) of gangster Vikas Dubey loomed large all over Bikru.
After the killing of gangster Vikas Dubey, this was the first assembly election in which people were desperate to vote to elect representatives of their choice. There was over 62.31 percent voting on Sunday.
Villagers said after the successful culmination of panchayat elections, this was probably the second time when they are voting without any fear. Else, those who even dared to think and desired to vote for any other candidate were tortured by the gangster and his aides,” said Shailendraa local.
“Democracy or elections have no meaning here in Bikru. None could campaign here as Dubey would field candidates of his choice. This time, people contested the elections and went door-to -door and sought votes,” said an elderly man Noor Alam, a local of Bikru.
A group of villagers said that this time no one threatened them. They had cast their vote for the candidate of their choice. “The time has changed,” they added.
Bikru comes under Bilhaur constituency.
Gangster Dubey was himself elected unopposed as the head of Bikaru gram panchayat in 1995.
In 2005, Anjali Dubey, the wife of Dubey’s younger brother Deep Dubey, was elected unopposed as the head of Bikru gram panchayat.
In the panchayat elections of 2010, after this seat was declared a reserved seat for the backward classes, Dubey had then got elected Rajinikanth Kushwaha as head of Bikru village.
In 2015, Dubey made his younger brother’s wife Anjali the head of Bikru gram panchayat.
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