If sources are to be believed, while one faction had the blessings of the local MP, the other was supported by the local MLA.
The recent Federation of Noida RWAs (FONRWA) elections played out a major political infighting, a fight no less than an interesting game of chess. It was a high-profile election contested between two heavyweights of Gautam Budh Nagar. Sources say, it was virtually a show of strength between the local MP and influential minister Dr. Mahesh Sharma and local MLA Pankaj Singh, son of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
This was the most high-profile FONRWA election till date. If sources are to be believed, while one faction had the blessings of the local MP, the other was supported by the local MLA. In the end, NP Singh, the former president of FONRWA, managed to retain his position.
The new president has managed to secure votes barely sufficient to ensure his seventh consecutive term. Singh secured 91 votes and defeated his opponent Sukhdev Sharma by 15 votes. Sharma got 76 votes.
This FONRWA election was not limited to candidates. The elections saw an indirect participation of leading politicians of Noida. The candidates garnered support mainly from two ruling politicians from the party in power in Uttar Pradesh. Although indirectly, the concerned leaders came face to face with each other. While one of them was a relatively new face in the city’s political field, the other was an experienced strong-arm of the party’s presence in the region. However, the newcomer has achieved success in lobbying his representatives against the latter and has also proved that the political game plan runs in his blood.
Voting for FONRWA election started at 10 am at the office in Sector 52, Noida. About 169 of the total of 175 voters had already cast their votes by 1.30 pm, while six voters did not cast their vote. The counting of votes began at 1.25 pm, which continued until late night. However, votes for each of the posts were recounted for two to three times. The NP Singh panel secured 12 posts, while Sukhdev Sharma's panel secured nine posts of the total 21 posts of FONRWA.
The city residents and heads of RWAs had their eyes locked on the candidates and the outcome of the elections. Most people assumed that NP Singh, who has held the president’s position for a long time would lose his position this time. The RWA office bearers of the Noida sectors, who voted in the election, were not happy with NP Singh, but the tides turned as the results were published. The result was in NP Singh's favour.
According to experts, NP Singh was set for a confirmed defeat but blessings from an elected representative from Noida rescued him from the sticky situation.
The inclination and support probably happened without consulting the leading senior political leader. In response, the senior leader lent silent support to the candidates opposing NP Singh. According to the sources, two leaders from the same political party were supporting the candidates fighting for the post of the president. But Noida's people and the sector RWAs were seen more inclined towards the new leader and their support siphoned towards NP Singh, which led to his victory.
Sources say NP Singh’s victory can also be considered a death knell for the political dominion of a senior Noida-based leader. Till date, the senior leader maintained an umbrella rule in the city governance and things took shape according to his will. The victory of NP Singh will not only be taken well but will also have an impact on the city’s political fabric in the coming times.
The outcome of the FONRWA election is not a big issue, but the way the politics have taken shape in the backdrop of the residents’ body election is. Judging by the shape Noida politics has taken, it seems that leading Noida politicians are in a race to establish their supremacy in the long run.
The talk of the town is that this year's FONRWA elections saw the BJP fight the BJP and also the BJP defeating the BJP and no other political outfit!
