With UP assembly poll equations in mind, PM Modi inaugurates nine medical colleges

The medical colleges have been named keeping local caste equations in mind. The colleges carry the names of a Brahmin leader, a woman Lodh icon, a Kurmi leader, Thakur freedom fighters, religious leaders, and a female goddess. The areas where the colleges were inaugurated in the districts of Siddharthnagar, Etah, Hardoi, Pratapgarh, Fatehpur, Deoria, Ghazipur, Mirzapur and Jaunpur.

The medical institution in Siddharth Nagar that Modi inaugurated in person has been named after Brahmin leader Madhav Prasad Tripathi, who was the first BJP president in Uttar Pradesh. Modi spoke of how Tripathi worked for the development of Purvanchal.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at a public meeting in Mehndi Ganj, Varanasi, Monday, Oct. 25, 2021. (PTI Photo)(PTI10_25_2021_000112B)

In recent months, the Opposition has constantly accused the government of bias against Brahmins, with parties such as the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Samajwadi Party launching outreach initiatives to attract the support of the community.

The medical college in Pratapgarh has been named after Kurmi leader and Apna Dal founder Sone Lal Patel who is the father of Apna Dal chief and Union Minister Anupriya Patel. The Apna Dal is the BJP’s alliance partner both at the Centre and the state, and wields influence over the votes of the Kurmi community around Varanasi and Pratapgarh in
eastern UP.

The prime minister pointed out that the medical college in Deoria had been named after Baba Deorah, a famous Yogi, while the Mirzapur Medical College bears the name of local goddess Ma Vindhavasini. The deity’s temple in Mirzapur is a famous religious pilgrimage site in east UP.

The Etah Medical College has been named after freedom fighter Avantibai Lodhi. Etah is located in a region dominated by Lodhi. The BJP recently lost its most high-profile Lodh leader from the region — former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh. At present, Kalyan Singh’s son Rajveer is the Lok Sabha MP from Etah.

The medical college in Fatehpur Medical College is named after freedom fighters and Thakur community icons Jodha Singh and Dariyaon Singh while the one in Jaunpur has been named after politician and social worker Umanath Singh. The medical college in Ghazipur has been named after Maharishi Vishwamitra, one of the most revered saints in Hindu mythology.