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Security unit patrol the violence-hit country a time aft clashes and chromatic pelting incidents implicit the survey of the Jama mosque, successful Sambhal. (PTI Photo)
The Sambhal territory successful occidental UP, wherever clashes erupted Sunday implicit a court-ordered survey astatine the Shahi Jama Masjid – successful which 4 radical were killed and respective constabulary unit injured – has been a stronghold of the main Opposition Samajwadi Party (SP) for astir 3 decades.
The mosque successful Sambhal town, wherever the 2nd survey was conducted Sunday, falls nether the Sambhal Assembly constituency wherever Muslims relationship for implicit 65% of the electorate.
The SP’s Sambhal MLA Iqbal Mehmood has been winning the spot for six consecutive elections since 1996. The ruling BJP had won the spot lone erstwhile truthful far, successful 1993, erstwhile the SP had finished the runner-up. The BJP has been the runner-up successful this spot successful the past 4 Assembly elections since 2007.
This spot is portion of the Sambhal Lok Sabha constituency which besides includes the Assembly segments of Kundarki, Bilari, Chandausi and Asmoli. Of these seats, successful the 2022 Assembly polls, the BJP had won lone Chandausi, with the remaining 3 bagged by the Akhilesh Yadav-led SP.
Zia-ur-Rehman Barq, 35, is the existent SP MP from Sambhal, who is the grandson of erstwhile enactment stalwart precocious Shafiqur Rehman Barq, who passed distant astatine the property of 94 successful February this year. Shafiqur Rehman was a four-time MLA from Sambhal and five-time Lok Sabha MP – doubly from Sambhal and thrice from neighbouring Moradabad.
In the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year, Zia won the Sambhal constituency by defeating the BJP’s Parmeshwar Lal Saini by implicit 1.21 lakh votes. He resigned arsenic the MLA from Kundarki, which falls successful Moradabad district, aft becoming an MP.
In the caller bypolls, however, the BJP won from the number community- dominated Kundarki seat, wherever its campaigner Ramveer Singh trounced the SP’s Mohammad Rizwan by implicit 1.44 lakh votes. Earlier, since 1996, the spot has been picked by either the SP oregon the BSP.
The SP has besides maintained its dominance successful the Sambhal parliamentary seat, winning it 5 times since 1998. SP laminitis Mulayam Singh Yadav was elected arsenic the MP from present doubly – successful 1998 and 1999 – portion his member Ram Gopal Yadav won the spot successful 2004. The BSP won the spot doubly – successful 1996, erstwhile its campaigner D P Yadav was elected, and successful 2009, erstwhile Shafiqur Rehman bagged it connected the party’s ticket.
The BJP has besides managed to triumph the Sambhal Lok Sabha spot lone erstwhile truthful acold – successful the 2014 polls amid the Narendra Modi wave. The Muslim votes had past got divided betwixt the SP’s Shafiqur Rehman and BSP campaigner Aqeel Ur Rehman Khan, starring to the BJP’s Satyapal Singh clinch the spot by 5,174 votes.
In the 2019 polls, Shafiqur Rehman made a comeback, defeating the BJP’s Parmeshwar Lal Saini by implicit 1.74 lakh votes. Contesting connected the SP’s ticket, helium besides got the enactment of the Mayawati-led BSP, which had past forged an confederation with the SP.
Of astir 19.50 lakh voters successful the Sambhal parliamentary constituency, Muslims relationship for astir 9 lakh, followed by Jatavs (Dalit) astatine 2.30 lakh, Yadavs (OBC) astatine 1.40 lakh, Sainis (OBC) astatine 1.15 lakh, and 1.7 lakh from precocious castes. Sainis and precocious caste groups person been accepted BJP voters successful this belt.
“As per societal equations, BJP has not capable voters successful Sambhal. Party won erstwhile Muslim votes got divided. The existent quality implicit the mosque is improbable to assistance the BJP overmuch here. Its lone fallout whitethorn beryllium that Jatav voters could displacement to the BJP,” said a BJP office-bearer from Sambhal.
Sambhal has a affluent history. The portion had been nether the rule of respective emperors and dynasties, from Ashoka to the Lodis and the Mughals, according to the Sambhal territory administration’s website. Babar, the archetypal Mughal ruler, built the archetypal Babri Masjid successful Sambhal, it says, stating that helium aboriginal made his lad Humayun the Sambhal governor. Sambhal was said to person flourished successful Akbar’s reign, it adds.
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