LS polls: In Hathras hing market, neglect, discontent dominate discourse
Hathras (UP) (PTI): Before one arrives at Hathras' famed 'hing' (asafoetida) market, the pungent smell of the condiment greets visitors, almost pinpointing the place.
As one gets to the market, a scene of disrepair takes over - roads riddled with potholes and littered with debris, and congested lanes dotted with dilapidated houses.
For local traders and residents, these are physical manifestations of the government's "neglect" that mirror broader systemic challenges.
Hathras hing received the coveted Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2023 but it appears to have done little for the local traders, who are seeking change and accountability in this Lok Sabha election.
"Our leaders need to focus on improving our living conditions instead of engaging in empty rhetoric," said hing trader Rohit Upadhyay.
Pritish Jindal, a shopkeeper, said, "We contribute significantly to the local economy and yet we are burdened with excessive taxes and receive little in return in terms of infrastructure or support."
Some feel bogged down by the "soaring" GST rates.
"This is the biggest hing market in the world. Hing brought from Iran and Iraq is processed here and the market is known for this process worldwide. Despite the significant business here, we feel ignored when it comes to key issues like inflation, unemployment and infrastructure. The Goods and Services Tax (GST) has devastated our trade," said Lalit Vashney, another hing trader.
"The soaring GST rates are suffocating our businesses. Profit margins are shrinking, making it increasingly challenging to sustain our livelihoods," said another trader Ramesh Gupta.
The GST rate for hing is 18 per cent.
According to the local trade union, India imported 1,500 tonnes of asafoetida milk worth Rs 940 crore last year.
Ranging from Rs 100 per kg to Rs 35,000 per kg, about 90 per cent of hing is sourced from Afghanistan, 8 per cent from Uzbekistan and 2 per cent from Iran, according to the union.
Hathras goes to polls in the third round of Lok Sabha polls on May 7. The western Uttar Pradesh constituency will see a direct fight between the BJP and the SP.
While the BJP has fielded state minister Anoop Pradhan Balmiki from the seat, the SP has fielded Jasveer Valmiki.
"The BJP has fielded a state minister from here. Aware of the weak competition from the opposition, they are not coming here to address our grievances," claimed a local trader who did not wish to be named.
Reviving Hathras' economic hubs is one of the issues on Valmiki's poll agenda.
"The neglect of our markets is a symptom of larger governance failures," the SP candidate said.
"If elected, I will prioritise infrastructure development and advocate for tax relief to bolster our local businesses," he said.
On the other hand, Balmiki's campaign so far has been focused on the progress made at the national level under the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government.
Votes for all seven phases of Lok Sabha elections will be counted on June 4. Irrespective of who loses, the traders hope they will win this time.
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Mamata accuses BJP of trying to 'rig' Bengal polls, alleges central forces acting at its behest
Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday accused the BJP of trying to "rig" the West Bengal assembly elections, alleging that central forces and election observers were acting at the behest of the saffron party.
The BJP, however, dismissed her allegations, accusing her of "trying to create confusion sensing public anger against the TMC".
Visiting several polling booths in her Bhabanipur assembly constituency where voting is underway, Banerjee alleged that democratic norms have been severely compromised by the authorities this assembly election.
The Bhabanipur assembly segment is Banerjee's political bastion, where she is locked in a prestige battle against Leader of the Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, in what is being seen as a symbolic rematch of Nandigram, where he had defeated her in the 2021 assembly polls.
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"BJP wants to rig this election," she told reporters.
Stating that elections are held in West Bengal in a peaceful manner, Banerjee asked, "Is there goonda raj here?"
West Bengal has had a tradition of poll-related violence with the Calcutta High Court having ordered CBI investigations into post-poll violence after the 2021 assembly elections.
Alleging that TMC workers and leaders were facing atrocities at the hands of police and CAPF personnel, Banerjee said her party cadres "were ready to die".
The TMC supremo, who usually steps out of her Kalighat residence in the afternoon on polling day to cast her vote at Mitra Institution School, went out before 8 am and visited several polling stations in the constituency, including those in the Chetla area of south Kolkata.
She later sat outside a polling station at Chakraberia in Bhabanipur and spoke to reporters, alleging irregularities and accusing the BJP of trying to influence the polling process through central forces and observers.
"Several observers have come from outside and are acting as per the BJP's directions. People are supposed to cast their votes -- can voting take place like this?" Banerjee said.
She also alleged that all TMC party flags had been removed beforehand and claimed that outsiders were interfering with the polling process.
"They are not allowing the councillor of ward number 70 to step out. They are picking up all our boys. Abhishek and I stayed awake the entire night," she said.
Banerjee further claimed that some people from outside the state were trying to create disturbances in the constituency and sought immediate intervention from the Election Commission.
The BJP, however, dismissed her allegations, claiming that the ruling party was trying to create confusion after sensing public anger against it.
Adhikari said the CM will lose the election.
The LoP offered prayers at two temples in the constituency's Khidirpur area.
Adhikari said people are coming out in large numbers to vote, with the Election Commission making proper arrangements for ensuring free and fair election.
"Does not matter, she will lose," Adhikari told reporters about the TMC chief venturing out on polling day early in the morning in a departure from her practice of going out only in the afternoon to cast her vote.
The party's de facto second-in-command Abhishek Banerjee, on the other hand, asserted that the TMC will win with a higher number of seats than in 2021.
The Diamond Harbour MP, after casting his vote at Mitra Institution, accused the poll observers of highhandedness in different places.
"But these things will not matter, we will win by a higher number of seats this election," he told reporters.
Voting is underway in 142 constituencies in the second and final phase of the West Bengal assembly elections amid unprecedented security arrangements.
Polling began at 7 am with voters lining up outside booths across Kolkata, Howrah, North and South 24 Parganas, Nadia, Hooghly and Purba Bardhaman -- districts that together form the political and electoral core of the state.
The outcome of this phase is expected to be crucial as it covers south Bengal, considered the TMC's traditional stronghold, where the BJP is seeking major inroads.
Polling will continue till 6 pm.
The first phase of the assembly elections on April 23 had recorded a turnout of 93.19 per cent -- the highest ever in the state.
Counting of votes will take place on May 4.
