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Bolstered by his bahubali image, Ramakant Yadav was always destiny’s favourite son for the locals in his pocketboroughs of the Phoolpur Pawai assembly seat and the Azamgarh Lok Sabha constituency, winning elections across decades despite often changing political colours.
The slogan ‘Naam hi kafi hai’ (the name is enough) and the nicknames Sher-e-Purvanchal and RKY exemplified Ramakant’s clout.
The first criminal case against him was registered at a police station in Azamgarh in 1977, a senior police officer said. The number grew to 57 till 2022. As Ramakant’s rise in politics was accompanied by allegations of illegal activities, the cases against him included those of issuing threats, three of murder, two of attempt to murder, criminal conspiracy and CLA (Criminal Law Amendment Act).
Lodged in jail since July 2022 in connection with a spurious liquor case, Ramakant faces a fresh challenge as the police have listed him and his 15 accomplices as members of the IR 42 gang.
In his heyday, the political parties continued to field him in election after election as his presence in the fray became a guarantee of a win. He won the Phoolpur Pawai assembly seat for the fifth time in 2022. In addition, he won the Azamgarh Lok Sabha seat won four times on different party tickets.
Ramakant’s political innings began with the Indian National Congress (Jagjeevan) and he won the Phoolpur Pawai seat as its candidate in 1985 to make his maiden entry into the Uttar Pradesh assembly. There was no looking back for him thereafter.
In 1989, he switched loyalties to the Bahujan Samaj Party and won the seat again.
He joined the Janata Party in 1991 and was elected the Phoolpur Pawai MLA on its ticket.
After Mulayam Singh Yadav floated the Samajwadi Party in 1992, Ramakant Yadav joined the SP which fielded him from Phoolpur Pawai and he won the seat again in 1993.
In 1996, he won the Azamgarh Lok Sabha on the SP ticket and retained it in 1999.
In 2004, Ramakant joined the BSP and was once elected the Azamgarh MP. Ramakant joined the BJP in 2009 and won the Lok Sabha seat for a fourth time.
Ramakant’s political rise made him quite influential not only in Azamgarh, but also in entire Purvanchal and beyond. His name was linked with a serious crime in the mid-1980s. Emerging as a ‘bahubali’ politician, he earned the nickname RKY.
“Naam hi kafi hai (the name is enough),” said a 60-year-old resident of Azamgarh about Ramakant on condition of anonymity.
Ramakant’s supporters called him Sher-e-Purvanchal due to his influence. Though Ramakant’s name was linked to several alleged criminal activities, no one could dare to raise his voice against him, the local resident said.
Samajwadi Party’s Azamgarh district general secretary Hari Prasad Dubey said, “Ramakant Yadav is our party MLA. The action of listing Ramakant Yadav as a criminal gang leader smacks of political vendetta. Ramakant has also been in the BJP.”
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