In Allahabad, a promise fulfilled; a jinx broken

Allahabad: Victory was more overpowering than campaign exhaustion as BJP’s Allahabad candidate Rita Bahuguna Joshi accepted compliments from party workers and well-wishers, who thronged her Minto Road bungalow, shortly after results of the 17th Lok Sabha election were declared.
However, this was more than just an electoral win that had her smiling. It’s actually a promise — one that she made to her mother Kamla Bahuguna years ago — of becoming an MP.
“I am happy that I finally achieved the dream of my mother. She always told me to surpass what she did in her life. She wanted to become a teacher and I went on to follow her passion. This win makes me happy as I am following her footsteps,” said the former Allahabad mayor.
Kamla Bahuguna was elected MP from Phulpur in 1977 on a Janata Party ticket, while Joshi’s father Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna was an MP from Allahabad in 1971.
Joshi was pitted against the SP-BSP alliance candidate Rajendra Singh Patel and Congress nominee Yogesh Shukla in Allahabad. The former Allahabad University professor had been trying to win a parliamentary election since 1994. “Honestly speaking, I had given up hope of becoming an MP way back in 2010. When the party asked me to contest from my home town in the 2019 LS election, it was an honour. And, finally the jinx has been broken,” said Joshi.
Admitting that pressure to counter the ‘gathbandhan’ was immense, Joshi said she visited more than 325 villages while campaigning. “I saw the NDA government’s policies have been received well by the people. My father’s legacy also worked in my favour.”
Talking about her plans for Allahabad once she takes charge as a parliamentarian, she said, “My priorities include ensuring potable water to trans-Yamuna villages and reviving the Naini industrial belt by diverting funds allocated to the state by the Centre. Construction of a Ganga Expressway would be a game changer for Allahabad.”
Joshi said she would also work to get the Army depot, presently located inside Allahabad Fort, to another location. On being asked if she attributed her win to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she said, “Elections have always been fought on the leadership plank. Be it Nehru, Indira Gandhi, VP Singh or PM Modi. In BJP, the cadre stands behind the leader. The opposition today does not have a national leader like Modi. 2014 was an election of hope and this is an election of confidence,” Joshi said.