Lucknow, April 1: In the run-up to Lok Sabha Elections 2019, a 51-year-old advocate from Muzaffarnagar constituency is probably the poorest candidate in the fray for the upcoming polls that are slated to begin on April 11. Mange Ram Kashyap, a candidate from Muzaffarnagar constituency, is the one who has no cash and zero balance in his bank account. According to a report by TOI, Kashyap has been contesting elections from a party named Mazdoor Kisan Union Party which he founded in 2000. It is since then, that he is a neta, who has fought all of the general elections. The report informs that Kashyap’s party has 1,000-odd members, most of them labourers. Muzaffarnagar Lok Sabha Constituency in Uttar Pradesh: Candidates, Current MP, Polling Date and Election Results 2019.
The determined candidate has been campaigning on foot across the city and said he didn’t have an issue walking long through the city as it helps him connect to the voters directly. According to Kashyap’s election affidavit which he submitted recently, the candidate has declared that he has no jewellery, no cash and zero money in his bank account. Also, his wife, Babita Chauhan, also has no cash, no jewellery and no money in her account.
According to a TOI report, Mange owns a 100 sq yard plot which has a value of Rs 5 lakh and a house built on 60sq yard with an estimated current value of Rs 15 lakh. The house is a gift from Mange Ram’s in-laws. He also owns a bike worth Rs 36,000. Uttar Pradesh Lok Sabha Elections 2019 Schedule: Constituency Wise Dates Of Voting And Results For UP General Elections.
Kashyap was quoted in the report saying that he has a bike but he cannot afford petrol for it every day. “My wife is a home maker and we have two kids to take care of. I have tried to find other jobs but there are hardly any,” he was quoted by TOI. He added saying that even in the last elections, he went on foot to appeal to people to vote for him. “I wonder why big politicians spend so much on campaigning when that money could be used for welfare of people,” he added. The report further states that Mange, despite all the efforts, was unable to secure the minimum number of votes. However, this didn’t deter his goals. He feels that things will change for the better this year for him.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 01, 2019 05:08 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).