ASSESSING VINOD SONKAR'S PERFORMANCE AS KAUSHAMBI'S MP

A ground-level survey of the Kaushambi parliamentary constituency was conducted by India News to analyse the performance of Vinod Sonkar, the Member of Parliament from Kaushambi, and to gather voters’ feedback about him.

Vinod Kumar Sonkar, a prominent member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has been the Member of Parliament from Kaushambi, Uttar Pradesh, since 2014. Traditionally a Congress stronghold, the political landscape has shifted with Sonkar’s consecutive victories in the 2014 and 2019 general elections. He played an active role in the Parliamentary Consultative Committee under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and served on the Standing Committee on Commerce.

A former student of Allahabad University, Sonkar’s political journey gained momentum during his student years. In 2017, he became the Vice President of the Uttar Pradesh BJP and the National President of the Scheduled Caste Morcha. Despite promises of development during elections, progress in the Kaushambi Lok Sabha constituency remains sluggish, with Raghuraj Pratap Singh’s political influence and caste dynamics playing a crucial role.

The region, comprising 18 lakh voters, grapples with unemployment and underdevelopment, highlighting the challenges that persist despite electoral assurances. The constituency, formed in 2008, encompasses parts of Pratapgarh and Phulpur Lok Sabha constituencies, emphasizing historical political rivalries. Ultimately, the caste equations often outweigh developmental concerns in this politically charged region.

Political parties align their strategies with the mood of the voters, setting their political affiliations based on the caste composition. Despite the voters expressing a desire for development, their votes are often influenced by caste considerations. The politicians who benefit from this voting pattern continue to capitalize on the lack of unity among the voters.