Lucknow, Nov 2 The Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) that is making a foray in the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, will be distributing statues of former bandit queen-turned-politician, Phoolan Devi, among voters in the 169 constituencies where it plans to contest.
The Yogi Adityanath government had denied permission to the VIP to install an 18-feet statue of Phoolan Devi in 18 divisional headquarters on July 25, which is her death anniversary.
VIP leaders also wanted to observe the day as 'Shahadat Diwas'.
According to VIP sources, the party will distribute busts of the late leader from November 15.
VIP national spokesperson, Dev Jyoti, said: "Now the party will get her statue established in every house of Nishad brothers and sisters in Purvanchal. The 169 seats we have identified have 12-18 per cent Nishad voters. The party's mass outreach programme will start in every block of the seats from November 15."
VIP National President, Mukesh Sahani, also a Bihar minister, said in a statement: "Statues will be distributed in every block in these constituencies."
The party's aim is to capitalise on her legacy at a time when other Nishad leaders and Nishad-centric political outfits are also staking their claim on her legacy.
Phoolan Devi, in her tenure as MP, had raised the issue of reservation for Nishads on several occasions and most of the Nishad-centric parties are still fighting for it.
The VIP has just wrapped up its Nishad Jan Chetna rallies held in 13 districts of Purvanchal in October. It has also started addressing Phoolan Devi as 'veerangana' (martyred woman).
Phoolan Devi was born in August 1963 to a Mallah family in Shekhpur Gudha ka Purwa village in Jalaun. The party's pamphlet mentioned that she was put to non-stop harassment by a 'specific community' in the village but she "did not bow down" and eventually made her way to Parliament.
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