UP polls: Two women to give tough fight to Akhilesh’s man

Amethi: Caught between the two ranis in Amethi is UP minister Gayatri Prajapati. Mr Prajapati, who faces corruption charges and allegations of illegal mining, is now facing a rape case registered against him earlier this week on the orders of the Supreme Court.

A first-time member of legislative Assembly from Amethi, he has pampered his constituency with hand pumps, roads and electricity. He is known to be “generous and obliging” and people talk in hushed tones of how he started “obliging” voters months before the elections were announced.

Mr Prajapati’s campaign is marked by histrionics. At a rally addressed by chief minister Akhilesh Yadav in his constituency, earlier this week, Mr Prajapati wept at the “false charges” of rape against him and left the stage when the chief minister arrived because he did not wish to dent “mukhya mantra ki chhavi (chief minister’s image)”.

“The people of Amethi know me well and love me. I am confident of winning the seat even though some people are conspiring against me and this case is a result of this conspiracy,” he said.

The presence of Congress candidate Ameeta Sinh, however, has made things difficult for Mr Prajapati. Had he been the lone candidate of the alliance, the fight would have been easier.