Chaurasia Samaj warns community

VARANASI: In order to show solidarity with a candidate from Chaurasia community, mainly engaged in the trade of betel and accessories, the Chauraisa Samaj had cautioned its members not to become proposer for any other candidate or be ready to face opposition at the time of contesting election in future.
This resolution was passed by Chaurasia Samaj of Banaras (CSB) on the eve of filing of nomination by Samajwadi Party candidate Kailash Chaurasia on Friday.CSB general secretary Sudhir Chaurasia told TOI on Saturday that it is the first time when any political party has fielded a candidate from the community in Varanasi. If any party shows faith in a candidate from the community, it becomes the responsibility of the samaj to show solidarity for him.
The decision was taken during a joint meeting of Akhil Bhartiya Chaurasia Mahasabha (ABCM) and CSB at Jaddumandi. In the presence of ABCM national working committee president Shailesh Chaurasia, general secretary TN Chaurasia, CSB vice-president Pradeep Chaurasia and Sudhir Chaurasia, the participants passed the resolution. The basic motive behind the resolution was to prevent the spread of a message that the society is divided on political lines, which could go if anyone from society becomes the proposer of any other candidate.
Sources in the CSB pointed out that there are over 1 lakh voters from the community in Varanasi. A tug-of-war had started in the name of traditional combination of chai-paan when Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi was projected as chaiwala, followed by SP candidate Kailash Chaurasia's claim that all the paanwalas were behind him.
When the BJP men approached some prominent paanwalas to make them proposers of Modi during his nomination, a series of speculations started.
Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal also jumped in this game. During his stay here, Kejriwal went to a shop of prominent betel seller in Lanka area. He was also approached by BJP leaders on Thursday evening.
To avoid problems for paanwalas and chaiwalas, the BJP dropped the idea to include them in the list of Modi's proposers. Sudhir admitted that all the people of any community cannot be compelled to vote for anyone. But, he said, the message that may spread by becoming proposer of any other candidate can be avoided. "Some 'neta types' could go for becoming proposer, hence Chaurasia Samaj had cautioned all of them not to become proposer of any candidate otherwise they can lose support of the samaj in the case of contesting any organizational or general election in future," added Sudhir.