Subrati, 65, has no idea how his name is spelled but knows Farrukhabad like the back of his hand. Though he sells cigarettes and other small things from a roadside shop, his simple analysis of Farrukhabad constituency going for polls holds some truth: “Salman Khurshid will win if he gets support of the Muslim voters.”
Being the lone Muslim candidate in the constituency, where the minority community forms about 20 to 25 per cent of the electorate, Khurshid appears to be their favourite.
There is, however, Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate Rameshwar Yadav, who could divide the Muslim votes. “Khurshid sahib will be in deep trouble if that happens,” says Subrati.
Though it may sound strange given a perceptible “Modi Wave”, especially among the young and urban voters, there are many, who feel that Khurshid would get votes from all sections of the society. “He has deep roots here. He is also soft spoken and popular,” says Narendra Awasthi, a resident of Jamapur, a few kilometers away from the town.
Hotelier Dilip Dubey, however, thinks otherwise. “There is a clear support for Modi.
The BJP will get votes everywhere-both in the urban and rural areas,” Dubey says.
Anand Kumar, a popular tea seller at the bus stand, echoes similar sentiments.
“Khurshid is a good person but it’s Modi this time,” Kumar says.
BJP supporters, however, rue that their candidate is “very weak”. They said that party nominee Mukesh Rajput, a “Lodh” by caste, is a Kalyan Singh man. “Very few people know him but the Modi factor has made him a strong candidate,” says Dubey.