Ambedkar's follower eyes 94th election

Agra: His name, Hasanuram Ambedkari, is self-explanatory. This 74-year-old follower of Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar is all set to contest his 94th election in the Zila Panchayat polls as an independent candidate. His wife, Shivdevi Surma, 68, has also filed nomination as an independent candidate for Agra Zila panchayat polls. She has filed a nomination for the post of village head from Kheragarh subdivision. Hasanuram Ambedkari is a senior member of the erstwhile All India Backward and Minority Communities Employees Federation (BAMCEF), founded by Kanshi Ram before the BSP was formed. As one of the most experienced political candidates in the fray, Ambedkari says he will contest the elections on the ideology of Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar. Since 1985, Ambedkari has unsuccessfully contested a total of 93 elections to various bodies, including the Lok Sabha and State Assembly polls from different seats. In 1988, his nomination for the post of President of India was rejected. Ambedkari had contested the last Lok Sabha election from Agra and Fatehpur Sikri seats but was not able to retain his deposits.

The last election he fought was for member of Legislative Council in 2020. His best performance was in 1989 Lok Sabha elections when he secured 36,000 votes from the Firozabad seat. Ambedkari said, "My wife and I have started door-to-door campaign this time. I have a lot of well-wishers actively supporting me. Our agenda is impartial and corruption-free development. I will work according to the constitutional principles. I don't care who my opponents are as I contest the election to give an option to voters who believe in Ambedkar's ideology." Ambedkari works as a farm labour and has a MNREGA job card. "I have no formal schooling, but I can read and write Hindi, Urdu and English. I have 10 children, all of them married and well settled," he said.