Azamgarh: A four-hour journey between Varanasi and Azamgarh could give you the impression that the region has a major issue with sexually transmitted diseases, as local hakims offer shartiya ilaz for them through numerous wall-painted commercials. There are occasional advertisements that assure you a guaranteed cure for back pain. Infact, you may just think of dropping in at a hakim's place after the trip on the under-construction four-lane road and crater-riddled diversions induces unbearable pelvic pain. As you traverse through parts of at least six Lok Sabha segments of eastern Uttar Pradesh — from Varanasi to Azamgarh — and then turn around from Azamgarh to reach Allahabad, you realise that the elections do occupy the people's thoughts.

SP, BSP rule minds

Reactions pour in as we start talking to the voters. "Cycle chale tej raftaar, haathi daude lagataar (Cycle — Samajwadi Party's (SP) symbol — runs faster than ever, and the elephant — Bahujan Samajwadi Party's (BSP) symbol — sprints continuously)," said Ramakant Yadav, who works in Azamgarh, where ex-CM Akhilesh Yadav faces BJP's Bhojpuri actor Dinesh Lal Yadav 'Nirahua'. He said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will lose the Lalganj (reserved seat) very badly and shouldn't dream of winning Azamgarh. "Gathbandhan hi sabse bhaari, ab sirf hamrihi baari' (The gathbandhan is most powerful. We will win this time too)," he says.