Etawah (Uttar Pradesh), May 3 (IANS): For the first time since Independence, Sefai, the native village of Samajwadi patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, will be represented by a Dalit.
Ramphal Balmiki, a close confidante of Mulayam Singh Yadav, has been elected as village head of Sefai, where elections were held for the first time after a long span of 48 years.
There was only one candidate in fray against Balmiki in Sefai that went to the polls on April 19.
Ramphal Balmiki, defeated his rival Vinita with a huge margin. Balmiki secured a total of 3,877 votes while Vinita got just 15 votes.
Balmiki was fielded from Sefai after the seat was reserved for the Scheduled Caste candidates.
Chances of Balmiki getting elected unopposed were strong this time but the nomination filed by a woman Vinita broke the tradition of unopposed Panchayat elections in Sefai.