A fancy set of wheels has seemingly become the biggest status symbol, even for our politicians. However, Bharatiya Janata Party’s Dr Radha Mohan Das Agrawal, a three-time legislator from Gorakhpur, is giving major simplicity goals to all the leaders across the nation.
Agrawal doesn’t move around in the city with a cavalcade, he travels alone in his Maruti 800 car.
“I lead a very simple life. I am here to serve the people and not to buy cars. Despite being a successful doctor and later a politician, I never tried to change myself, politics is not about showing your luxurious cars and power,” Agrawal tells InUth.
Agrawal won the election for the first time in 2002 on a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket. Ever since then he hasn’t looked back and has always registered a victory with a huge margin of votes.
On asking the reason behind his success, he says, “I have the blessings of all. People of Gorakhpur are with me and I have won their trust over the years.”
Before entering into politics, Agrawal did his MBBS and MD from the Banaras Hindu University (BHU). It was during his college days, that he joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and then later joined the student politics.
From 1981 to 1986, he was a professor in the medical college. After leaving Banaras (presently Varanasi), Agrawal came back to Gorakhpur and established his own practice.
Before becoming a popular politician, Agrawal earned fame as a doctor. He was the leading child specialist of his time.
His popularity is such, that despite being a communally charged city, the people even from the minorty community respect and love him.
“Dr Agrawal is not a communal man. He is so simple that anybody can go to his home and meet him without any appointment. He also keeps visiting our area and resolve our issues,” says Tauseef Hussain, a resident of Rasoolpur area.
One more thing, which makes him an ‘extraordinary leader’ is that he never holds public meetings, ‘nukkad’ meetings or rallies. Politicians are known for such things, but the three-time legislator thinks differently.
“I don’t hold public and nukkad meetings, because I go from door to door to meet people and that is my strength. I keep visiting the areas of my constituency everyday, not like others who remember their people at the time of elections only,” says Agrawal.
Even the people love him for this, speaking to InUth, Dilip Singh, a local businessman, says,”MLA sahib travels around the city in his Maruti 800. His simplicity is such that he has taken no security personnel or even a driver for that matter. We love him and his stlye of politics.”
People also fondly call him ‘Maruti waale vidhayak ji’ and RMD sahib. The BJP legislator starts his day at 6 in the morning and ends it 10:30 in the night. In between this time, he visits several areas of the city to meet and greet the people.
“We call him Maruti waale vidhayak ji, because I don’t think there’s any other politician who keeps Maruti these days and even drives it on his own. Present day politicians don’t travel alone, they want a fleet of SUVs and security personnel to show their money and strength,” says Naveen Dixit, a shopkeeper.
Apart from being leading a simple life, this man is also battling for ‘Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas’. His aim is to bridge the gap between the Hindus and the Muslims. He believes that communalism has taken over the society and it is the need of the society to restore the normalcy.
“I don’t believe in the politics based on religion or caste. For the nation’s progress, we will have to take all communities together. Holding a grude against a person just because he is a Muslim is not my cup of tea. I will keep working for the communal harmony till my last breath,” says Agrawal.
Even the people are supporting him for his cause. Recently, a cleric provided a mic from the mosque to his supporters, so that they could campaign for their MLA without any hassle.
“There wasn’t any mic, so we arranged for one, from a mosque. If he wins, we know that he will always take care of us and will not indulge in any activity, which harms us,” said Fahad Siddiqui, a student.
“We are also urging the people to vote for him because he is the best choice. Other leaders from our constituency have either criminal charges against them or they have a greed for money,” he added.
Not only the Muslims, even people from the Christian community organised a ceremony at a church to pray for his win.
Father Sanjay Vincent, the dean of Gorakhpur deanery, had organised a special prayer for Agrawal at the St. Andrew’s church of the city.
“People from all the communities have accepted me and it is their love that motivates me to lead such a simple life and work for all with an unbiased approach,” said the overwhelmed legislator.
Gorakhpur went to polls today and now the last phase of UP elections is left. On March 8, the elections will conclude and the counting of votes will be done on March 11.
