These women candidates are ‘gunning’ for electoral glory

ALLAHABAD: A number of women candidates trying their luck in the ongoing UP assembly polls own arms ranging from pistols, revolvers to double barrel guns—all for ‘personal security’.

The scrutiny of the self-declared affidavits filed during nomination reveals that Ameeta Sinh, wife of Congress MP Sanjay Sinh and Congress candidate from Amethi, and Sinh’s estranged wife Garima Singh, who is also in the fray from Amethi on a BJP ticket, both own arms. Ameeta owns a rifle and a pistol worth Rs 50,000 each besides a double barrel gun worth

Rs 20,000 whereas Garima Singh owns a double barrel gun worth Rs 35,000. Aradhana Mishra aka Mona, daughter of Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Pramod Tiwari, who is in the fray from Rampur Khas seat of Pratapgarh owns a pistol worth Rs 1.25 lakh.

Contesting on a BSP ticket from Doomariyaganj in Siddharthnagar district, Saiyada Khatoon owns a revolver worth Rs 2.10 lakh.

BJP candidate from Mohammadabad in Ghazipur, Alka Rai, wife of BJP leader Krishnanand Rai who was murdered in 2005, has a rifle worth Rs 2 lakh for her protection while SP candidate from Balamau in Hardoi, Sushila Saroj, has three firearms: A DBBL gun worth Rs 20,000, a revolver of Rs 27,000 and a rifle worth Rs 65,000.

Another SP candidate Seema Sachan, contesting Kanpur Dehat’s Sikandra seat, also owns a 0.32 bore revolver worth Rs 85,000.

Seema Dwivedi, in the fray from Mungra Badshahpur seat of Jaunpur on a BJP ticket, owns a pistol worth Rs 84,000 while Shuchismita Maurya, another BJP candidate contesting Majhawan seat of Mirzapur, possesses a pistol worth Rs 1.20 lakh. Anita Rawat, BJP candidate from Machhlishahr, has a pistol worth Rs 60,000 while Nirmala Sankhwar, in fray from Rasulabad on a BJP ticket, owns a .32 bore revolver worth Rs 85,000.

Also on the list is Pooja Pal, sitting MLA and BSP candidate from Allahabad West seat, who owns a revolver worth Rs 64000 and a rifle costing Rs 55,000 besides a DBBL gun worth Rs 20,000.

Vijama Yadav, the SP candidate from Pratappur seat of Allahabad, owns a rifle worth Rs 2 lakh and a DBBL gun worth Rs 40,000.

CONTESTING ON A BSP TICKET FROM DOOMARIYAGANJ, SAIYADA KHATOON OWNS A REVOLVER WORTH RS 2.10 LAKH.