Even the kidnapping and murder of her husband did not lead her into bowing before the demand of powerful ruling Bahujan Samaj Party lobby to withdraw her candidature. Undaunted by the odds, Kamla Devi won the local panchayat pradhan election from Majhwara village in Sultanpur district on Thursday.
"Kamla Devi has won with a thumping majority" declared Sultanpur district magistrate, Pinky Jowel, who had assured Kamla that she would not allow her rivals to influence the election process under any circumstances.
"My husband was always confident that I would win if the election was free and fair", a sobbing Kamla told mediapersons in Majhwara. "I am grateful to the district magistrate for taking adequate care to ensure a fair counting of votes, despite much pressure from the ruling BSP."
Kamla's husband Ram Kumar Yadav, posted in Bhikapur tehsil of the adjoining Faizabad district went missing while returning from panchayat poll duty on the night of October 24. His mutilated body was found the next morning near a canal in the neighbouring Dakhinwara village.
Prior to his death, Yadav had made repeated complaints about life threats given to him by the BSP MLA and his cohorts . He had also sought security for himself as well as his wife , whom the ruling party's MLA wanted out of the electoral fray . However, paying little heed to the complaints, neither Kamla nor her husband were provided any security.
Different political parties came out in support of the daring woman who fought against the might of the ruling party MLA , whose name spells terror in large parts of the district. In a memorandum to state Governor B C Joshi, the UP Congress Committee has demanded immediate arrest of the MLA and his brother who is also a block pramukh and has a number of criminal cases pending against him.
Besides seeking an ex-gratia grant of Rs. 25 lakhs for the victim's family, the Congress has also demanded a government job for Yadav's next of kin.
