For a village that once used to be the home of the former prime minister and is set to go to polls in Uttar Pradesh’s assembly elections in just two days, Ramuapur Khurd looks quite quiet, not seeing much political activity.
The house where BJP stalwart Atal Bihari Vajpayee lived, and oversaw his election campaign starting in 1957, with the locals lamenting, no one thinks about it.
The village comes under Utraula assembly constituency, where polling is to be held on March 3. Locals say that it is waiting for someone to take the actual note of Vajpayee connection. Some leaders, though they knew it was Vajpayee’s village, avoided media questions as to what they could do for it.
Locals said that they want the house to be converted into a memorial for the former BJP leader.
Vajpayee ji lived here and used to run his campaign from here. Ashok Pandey says that he successfully contested the 1957 and 1967 elections from here and lost the 1962 elections, whose ancestors had the house in which the former PM lived.
Pandey, the ‘pradhan’ (village head) of Ramuapur Khurd village, says that he was a small child then and there are not many memories left of that time. My father Anand Swaroop Pandey, now 75, tells us about the tales of that era and the way he campaigned, he said.
Vajpayee ji used to sit with his friends and supporters and talk about taking the throne of Delhi which he did to eventually become the PM. He said the village, with more than 550-600 voters, has seen the days when there was no modern vehicle for commuting and Vajpayee used a jeep during his election campaign.
Now the house is ruined and no one lives there. Pandey said that he has left the house unused to preserve the sanctity as it is associated with the memories of Vajpayee. The ruins are there. you can see. If anyone thinks about it and builds a memorial for Atalji here, we will welcome him.”
Asked if any local politician or anyone comes here or asks about this place, Pandey said, “Nobody.” Nobody has ever asked about this except you (media). Nobody thinks about it. He said that Atalji went to Parliament for the first time from here and later became the Prime Minister, his association with this place needs to be highlighted.
When asked about the village’s association with the former prime minister, the villagers rejoice with pride, but the younger generation does not remember any.
I was not even born then. My father also doesn’t do much because he was very young then. We only know that he (Vajpayee) lived here and used to run his campaign from here.” Local politicians appear indifferent.
The BJP has repeated Ram Pratap Verma alias Shashikant from the assembly constituency, while the Samajwadi Party has given ticket to Haseeb Khan. Congress has fielded Dhirendra Pratap Singh alias Dhiru as its candidate.
,
read all breaking news, today’s fresh news And Assembly Election Live Updates Here.