Saifai: The airstrip that enabled Rahul Gandhi to fly from Etawah to New Delhi last Saturday could be an example of how Mulayam Singh Yadav brought development to his backyard, sometimes at the cost of the rest of Uttar Pradesh.

Had there been no airstrip in Saifai, Mulayam’s ancestral village in central Uttar Pradesh, Rahul would have had to spend that night in Etawah. But after his last meeting of the day, the Congress MP drove to the airstrip, boarded a private jet and was in Delhi in no time for a good night’s rest. Saifai, in Etawah district and about 20km from the Golden Quadrilateral expressway, is a rare gem in a backward area that has come to be known as “Yadavland”, but its airstrip and other installations have cost the state exchequer over Rs 500 crore.

The Samajwadi Party chief made a special budget allocation to develop Saifai in all three stints as chief minister. In a drive through Etawah, Saifai suddenly springs up before the eyes with its tall concrete buildings and landscaped greens that would do any city proud. Surrounded by backward Mainpuri, Ferozabad and Kannauj districts — all considered Mulayam clan strongholds — the contrast is striking.

In an election where Mayawati’s rivals are crying hoarse about her “criminal waste” of state money to erect statues of herself and her party mascot, Saifai could be a reminder to voters of similar misuse by Mulayam when he was at the helm. The town, which will vote on February 23 as will all of central Uttar Pradesh, has more to show than just an airstrip.

It has two stadiums — one astro turf and capable of hosting international hockey matches. It has several colleges, one named after Amitabh Bachchan, and a government hospital. The town has its own sub-power station and water supply system. Bollywood stars, invited by Mulayam’s former aide Amar Singh, were often airdropped here for the annual Saifai festival.

Interestingly, in the last five years Mayawati, too, did not disturb this Yadav oasis. But in this do-or-die election match for Mulayam in central Uttar Pradesh, people are desperately seeking something else, not airstrips and power stations. They want “aman-chain” (peace) — which could be read as freedom from “goonda raj” that became the hallmark of the Samajwadi Party’s years in power.

The fear of “goonda raj” has staged a comeback with poll predictions in favour of Mulayam. “SP leaders have started coming to our hotel and demanding undue favours and threatening us if these are not met. Earlier, they used to hold a gun to our head if we refused to meet their demands,” said Sunil Kumar, a waiter in a hotel in Etawah.

Mulayam seemed aware of the “goonda” tag his party wears. The Samajwadi has started door-to-door campaigns to assure people that crime will not make a comeback if Mulayam does. The party chief himself stressed the point in almost every election speech. “Samajwadi Party leaders engaging in any kind of anti-social activities will face strong action. Nobody will be spared, not even my partymen,” Mulayam assured people in Auraiya, 50km from Etawah, yesterday.

The Samajwadi has formed a four-member committee headed by Mulayam’s brother Ramgopal Yadav, an MP, to look into complaints of high-handedness by party members. “All SP leaders have been directed to refrain from strong-arm tactics. They have been asked to go door to door and assure everyone that this time it will be a reformed SP government,” said Mahendra Pal, a party leader in Etawah.

Samajwadi leaders said now that the command of the party had been passed on to Mulayam’s son, Akhilesh, he had already promised a government with a modern outlook. The assurance notwithstanding, the fear of “goonda raj” could upset Mulayam’s aspirations. In the 2007 Assembly polls, the Samajwadi had swept the region. However, it saw a series of setbacks in the subsequent by-elections. Mulayam’s daughter-in-law Dimple lost the Ferozabad Lok Sabha seat to Samajwadi rebel Raj Babbar and the BSP won three other Assembly seats.

Although Yadavs in the region showed maximum support for Mulayam, other castes were reluctant. The Yadavs dominate this region and people of other castes said they got “intoxicated by power” whenever Mulayam became the chief minister. “They pass lewd remarks at women, forcibly pick goods from shops and demand money,” said Dhiraj Singh, a shopkeeper.

The Congress has fielded a couple of rebel Samajwadi leaders in the region who could cut into Mulayam’s base. Mulayam’s relative Urmila Yadav is contesting on a Congress ticket from the Karhal segment in Mainpuri. Rebel Ajay Yadav, now with the Congress, has been pitted against Mulayam’s brother and leader of Opposition in the Assembly Shivpal Yadav. The Samajwadis have almost negligible presence in western districts going to the polls in the sixth and seventh phase that account for 80 seats. Mulayam has to win the maximum number of seats in the next phase to emerge the frontrunner.

-The Telegraph, Calcutta