Man who holds record of 'longest' dharna to contest against Yogi Adityanath

He has been on a dharna for the past 26 years against land mafias, who he alleges have grabbed hundreds of acres of government land in Shamli district, is sore at the politicians for not acting against the mafia elements, and as a mark of protest has decided to challenge them in the electoral battlefield.

Master Vijay Singh, who holds the record for holding the 'longest' dharna, will be contesting against Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adtyanath from Gorakhpur City assembly seat. He has been on the dharna since February 26, 1996.

He knows that he doesn't stand a chance against Adityanath, yet he has decided to challenge the latter from his home turf of Gorakhpur. Singh will be filing his nomination papers from Gorakhpur City assembly seat shortly.

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Singh would also be campaigning against Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav, who is contesting from Karhal assembly constituency in Mainpuri district.

"I know I will not win against Adityanath but I just want the people to know that the latter had not fulfilled his promise made while speaking at an election rally at Shamli five years back that he would take action against the land mafias and free the government land from their possession," Singh said.

He said that he had sought an appointment with Adityanath to remind him about his promise but could not meet him.

A teacher by profession, Singh had undertaken a foot march in 2012 and had met the then-CM Akhilesh Yadav and urged him to act against the land mafias. "Akhilesh too had promised to act against them but nothing happened," he added.

Singh, who resigned from his job to hold dharna against the land mafias, said that the district administration had launched a probe into the allegations of land grabbing and that the probe found that the charges were correct but even then no action was taken. "There is a nexus between the politicians, land mafias and the officials," Singh said.

Singh hopes that his electoral fight will bring into light the inaction of successive governments against the land mafias. "Maybe one day I will succeed," he said.

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