SP wins from Chakia, once a stronghold of Atiq Ahmed

PRAYAGRAJ: Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate Jahan Aara has won from ward no. 44 (Chakia). Chakia is the area which was considered to be the stronghold of slain gangster-politician Atiq Ahmed and where his ancestral house was located. The house was demolished in September 2020.
A postgraduate by qualification, Ara got 65.70% of the total votes polled and registered her win. The Chakia ward had recorded 27.8% polling on May 4. She is the wife of outgoing SP corporator Mohd Azam.
The Chakia ward came to limelight after the state government started tightening the noose around Atiq. All eyes were on the results of Chakia ward since Atiq and his brother Khalid Azim alias Ashraf were shot dead inside the campus of Colvin hospital under the limits of Shahganj police station on April 15.
Speculations were rife that voters of Muslim community would not favour Samajwadi Party and might shift to either Congress or Bahujan Samaj party (BSP). However, all calculations proved false and voters gave blessings to the SP candidate. When the counting started, Ara was ahead in two early rounds, but the BJP candidate later took a slight lead. However, Ara soon registered her win. SP has registered victory in the ward in the past four consecutive polls of the municipal corporation.