Rajasthan : The battle for Lok Sabha elections 2024 is going on and every party is trying to win the hearts of the people with their claims and promises. However, gangsters and dacoits doing muscle power politics seem to be missing from this election. Once upon a time, influenced by the glamor of politics, many dacoits had established their dominance in it. There was a time when a dacoit, living in a ravine, would write the story of the entire election. He used to decide from the forest itself who would be elected as head, MLA and MP. His own son and nephew have become MLAs and brothers have become MPs.
Dadua was another name for terror in Bundelkhand.
There was a time when Dadua was another name for terrorism in Bundelkhand spread across UP-MP. Anyway, Patha forest in Bundelkhand is known as Mini Chambal. From the forests of Chitrakoot to the Pradhan of Prayagraj and surrounding areas, Dadua played an important role in the elections of MLA and MP. His influence extended to other districts of Madhya Pradesh adjacent to Chitrakoot as well. Due to this influence, his brothers, nephews and sons were able to become MPs and MLAs.
Neither on caste nor on caste, Dadua’s words will be approved.
Dacoit kingpin Dadua was so powerful that he ran his government in Bundelkhand for almost 30 years and he also had so much influence in politics that any party used to field candidates only as per his wish. It is said that whatever be the government or non-government work in Behad, 10 percent share had to be given to Dadua. Leaders of many parties used to go to meet him in the dark of night and ask for help in the elections. Shekhar recalls that at that time two slogans were very famous in Bundelkhand. There was one thing, neither on caste nor on caste, Dadua’s words will be approved. Apart from this, the slogan for a particular party was, ‘Muhar lagegi ha… but otherwise there will be a bullet on the chest.’
Brother-nephew and son became MP-MLA
Even after Dadua’s death in an encounter in 2007, his influence was so strong that when his family members themselves entered politics, they were successful. Dadua’s younger brother Balkumar Patel became MP from Mirzapur seat in 2009. The same Balkumar’s son Ram Singh was elected MLA from Patti seat of Pratapgarh in 2012. Dadua’s own son Veer Singh became MLA from Karvi Sadar seat of Chitrakoot. It is said that Dadua was also an expert in solving caste equations.
He had influence on the Kurmis of a dozen districts of Madhya Pradesh including Bundelkhand. He used to take advantage of this also. That is why Veer Singh easily won the election from Karvi seat. Earlier, due to Dadua’s arrogance, in the year 2000, Veer Singh was also elected unopposed as the President of Chitrakoot District Panchayat.
Balkumar Patel had also tried his luck in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Banda-Chitrakoot parliamentary seat. However, Bal Kumar Patel, who contested the elections on Congress ticket, had to face defeat. Then there was a contest between SP’s Shyama Charan Gupta and BJP candidate RK Singh Patel, in which RK Singh won. In the same election, SP had made Veer Singh its candidate from Khajuraho seat of Madhya Pradesh but he too was defeated. Currently Balkumar is in jail in a fraud case.
Who was Dadua after all?
Dadua’s real name was Shiv Kumar Patel. He was a resident of Devkali village of Chitrakoot district in UP and when he grew up, he was appointed as a peon in a school. It is said in the area that the landlord of a village near Shivkumar’s village, angry over some issue, beat Shivkumar’s father, stripped him naked and killed him with an axe. Also, Shivkumar was sent to jail on charges of robbery. To take revenge he became a dacoit. At the same time, some other people oppose this thing. He says that nothing like this had happened and Dadua had become a dacoit due to his own company and desire.
Dadua’s network was in the entire area
Local journalist Shekhar tells that Dadua had such a tremendous network in Bundelkhand that any matter would reach him immediately. Once a big businessman of Kanpur got a big job in Chitrakoot. He had come to Chitrakoot to decide its outline. Only a few people were aware of this. When he reached Kanpur from Chitrakoot, Dadua’s call reached him and he asked for his share. After this he withdrew from that work.
