Youth loses mind to win polls

Offers to cut his tongue at temple in UP for success

One may have heard of candidates making tall promises and offering money and liquor to woo people to win elections. But a youth in Uttar Pradesh’s Barabanki district tried to offer something different.

Vinod Gautam, who planned to contest for the post of block development committee (BDC) member in the forthcoming panchayat elections in the state, allegedly tried to offer his tongue at a temple to “please” the divine power.

According to reports, Gautam reached the temple at Sihamau village carrying a knife on Tuesday and allegedly tried to chop off his tongue before the ‘samadhi’ (tomb) of a ‘baba’. The priest Manoj Goswami said a portion of the tongue was found lying near the tomb.
The priest said there was not much rush at the temple when Gautam had arrived.

“I did not pay any attention. He came to me and asked for a matchstick and went inside,” Goswami said.

The priest grew suspicious after he did not come out of the temple after even 30 minutes.
“I found him lying in a pool of blood. He was in a semi-conscious state,” he added.

Didn’t inform cops

However, the priest did not inform police. Gautam regained conscious late on Tuesday night and was taken home by his family members, who arrived on getting the information.

His family members said Gautam was planning to contest for the BDC membership and had expressed a desire to “offer” a part of his body at the temple to “win” the polls.

Obviously Gautam failed to realise that even if he won the polls, he would not be able to speak and for a politician nothing was more painful than losing the capability to deliver speech.

Barely a few days ago, an outgoing village panchayat chief, who had vowed to remain a bachelor throughout his life, entered into wedlock after the seat was reserved for women, in an apparent bid to ensure that the post remained within the family.