As dramatic as this Samajwadi Party leader’s adaptation of TMC’s ‘Khela Hobe’ anthem into ‘Khela Hoi’ in Bhojpuri for the UP polls, were his tearful lamentations at a ‘betrayal’. In a video that has now gone viral, former SP MLA Abdul Samad Ansari is seen crying at not being given a party ticket from Varanasi North. His supporters, gathered around him at his house, were also seen expressing their displeasure at the turn of events.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who defeated the BJP in the assembly polls in her state last year, is batting for the Samajwadi Party in the battle for Uttar Pradesh. Her viral battle cry ‘Khela Hobe’ has seen various renditions in Uttar Pradesh, including a jingle “Khadeda Hoibe” (will be chased away) released by the SP earlier. Based on the local dialect prevalent in the Purvanchal region of Uttar Pradesh, the song had done rounds on social media and is being played at political functions of the opposition grouping in its fight against the ruling BJP.

But the person who made the slogan ‘Khela Hoi’ is far from jubilant in his election journey. While Ansari had expected the party’s ticket, a day before the last date of nomination, the SP declared Ashfaq Ahmed W as the candidate from the northern assembly seat. His supporters gathered at his house, while the former MLA cried bitterly, News18 Hindi reported. It remains to be seen what effect Ansari, and other SP leaders who have not been given tickets, have on poll results for the Samajwadi party, which is being seen as the main opposition to BJP in these elections.

Lyricist and singer of ‘Khela Hobe’ jingle, Debangshu Bhattacharya had previously told PTI that the political condition and fight at the two places (UP and West Bengal) were of different types. “At one place (in Bengal), it was to bring back the ruling party, while at the other place (Uttar Pradesh), it is about removing the ruling party,” he had said.

He had said the BJP’s rivals in West Bengal didn’t have any counter to the party’s ‘Jai Shri Ram’ chant which they were using for political purposes. “If someone tried to stop them, then they will show that they have problem with the name of the God and this also would help them in polarisation of votes.” “After coining ‘Khela Hobe’, if the BJP workers raised ‘Jai Shri Ram’, the TMC workers would say ‘Khela Hobe’. And, the public evinced more interest in the latter,” he had said. The ‘Khadeda Hoibe’ poll jingle would also be a strong counter to the BJP’s “religious polarization tactics”, said Bhattacharya, who is also the general secretary of TMC’s youth unit, said.

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