Big names like Maneka Gandhi responsible for Aonla's backwardness: BSP candidate Ruchi Vira

Big names like Maneka Gandhi have represented Aonla constituency in Uttar Pradesh but they were never bothered about its development, BSP Lok Sabha candidate Ruchi Vira said, holding the BJP responsible for the "backwardness" of the region.

The 57-year-old, who has served as an MLA in nearby Bijnor district, said Aonla is considered a BJP stronghold but lacks basic facilities like proper roads, colleges for girls and faces problems of unemployment and farm distress.

"Although some famous people have represented this seat, Aonla still remains a backward area. These famous people never returned here and did not do what was needed. If you go around, you'd not even see basic facilities like bus stops, hospitals. There is a need for a sugar mill in the area, the sugarcane farmers have to transport their produce to far off mills," she told PTI in an interview.

Aonla, which votes on April 23 during the third leg of the seven-phase elections, had elected BJP's Maneka Gandhi to the Lok Sabha in 2009. She had then moved to Pilibhit and BJP's Dharmenra Kashyap had won from Aonla in 2014. He is seeking a re-election this time.

"Maneka Gandhi was such a big name and she could have done a lot for Aonla but it is the people here who say that she never came back for them. Now there is Kashyap ji, he is the MP but he probably never raised a question about his constituency in Parliament," she claimed.

"When they only don't care for development, what else there is to say? It is also embarrassing and insulting for locals to know that their MPs failed to use their funds (MPLADs) in constituency," said Vira, whose candidature is also supported by BSP's alliance partners Samajwadi Party and Rashtriya Lok Dal.

She said a bridge that was to connect Aonla and Mirpur is lying incomplete despite the BJP government being in power, from local MLA to MP, and in the state and the Centre as well.

"The BJP is in power everywhere but giving a push to development works has not been a priority for them in Aonla. This has been a traditional seat for BJP yet the roads are in poor conditions," she claimed.

Fighting the label of "parachute candidate" in Aonla, Vira cites the example of Mother Teresa to say that those who want to serve the people are unaffected by the place where they work.

She also asserted fighting from any place of her choice as her right, referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi fighting from two seats in 2014, one in Gujarat and the other in UP.

"I have a track record as someone who works. I am in politics with a sentiment... I have worked in Bijnor and been with the public all the time. If I get an opportunity here, I will do my best," she said.

"When Modi ji being from Gujarat can fight from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, why can't I? Also Bijnor is just one district away from Aonla. I believe when you want to work for people, these issues don't matter," Vira added.

She claimed that the mega alliance of the BSP-SP-RLD would work in her favour against BJP's Kashyap and Congress' Kunwar Sarvraj Singh and 11 other candidates, including two independent in the fray, from Aonla.

"Now everybody is aware of the ganthbandhan which I think will definitely help us. Our leaders Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav and Ajit Singh coming together is certainly a gain for us, and has won people's confidence. The coalition will more significantly benefit from the anti-incumbency of the BJP in Aonla," Vira said.

She also slammed the BJP government at the Centre for making "unending promises" and the job situation.

In 2014, BJP's Kashyap had got 4.09 lakh of the 9.95 lakh votes polled, to win with 41.16 per cent votes. SP's Kunwar Sarvraj Singh had got 2.71 lakh votes, BSP's Sunita Shakya 1.92 lakh, and Congress' Saleem Iqbal Sherwani 93,823 votes.

In 2009, Maneka Gandhi had won from Aonla after a close fight with Dharmendra Kumar, who was then in the SP. She had got 2.16 lakh votes, while Kumar got 2.08 lakh votes that year, a victory margin of less than one per cent.

Kumar the sitting MP from BJP has earlier had a stint with the BSP also.