Farrukabad:
In Farrukhabad today, Salman Khurshid said diplomatically, "It's a closed chapter." He gestured to indicate a book being closed. Tomorrow, this part of central Uttar Pradesh votes in the third phase of the election - another three will follow in the next few weeks. The Law Minister's declaration of a sub-quota for Muslims was seen as a violation of the model code of conduct, and provoked censure from the Election Commission and his own party. The controversy ended with his letter to the Commission, expressing his regret over "the unfortunate incident."
Mr Khurshid's wife, Louise, is his party's candidate from Farrukhabad; the same area chose him as its member of parliament three years ago. Mrs Khurshid has been seen carrying a battery-operated torch as she crosses railroad tracks late at night to campaign among voters. 20 per cent of the voters in this constituency are Muslims.
In the last assembly election, Mayawati's BSP won this seat. Its candidate Anant Mishra was made a minister as a reward, but he is now under investigation for corruption. So this time, the BSP has chosen a different candidate.
"You have chosen Salman as your MP, now give us a chance, and give me an opportunity to serve you too. Help me win this election," she says to a gathering of women and children in a Dalit basti.
The voters here know Mr Khurshid not just as Law Minister, but as the Minister for Minority Affairs. The BJP says he has communalised the agenda here, first by announcing a sub-quota for Muslims within the larger 27% reservation for Other Backward Classes, and then by stating that Sonia Gandhi wept when she saw photos of the Batla House encounter. After his party objected, Mr Khurshid withdrew that remark, saying he had been misquoted about his party president.
Batla House is an emotive issue in this part of the state - in 2008, the Delhi Police barged into a building in Delhi's Jamia Nagar and a shootout followed with a group of men they describe as terrorists. Two young Muslim men were killed, both from Azamgarh, 500 kms from here.
Some Muslim voters say Mr Khurshid has shown political immaturity by opting for a see-through agenda. Development remains a distant hope here, and
bijli-sadak-paani (electricity, roads, water) are all that matters. A middle-aged doctor, Zubair Ahmed, shares, "Whatever Salman has sowed, his wife Louise will reap the losses. He has done nothing in the past two years. Why should we vote for his wife?"
Others, like Ayub Mian, a tea stall owner, likes the idea of voting for their MP's wife. "We have elected Salman. She deserves a chance too. He introduced a train connecting to Farrukhabad, the Kalindi Express," he says.
Mrs Khurshid is not coy about wearing her religion on her sleeve. "I have embraced Islam. I am an
ail-e-kitaab (I swear by the Quran). My wedding was a traditional
nikaah. We are not appealing to a religion, we are appealing to humanity," she told NDTV.