'I am sure I will be defeated again': Agra's election candidate who has lost 98 times

He first contested in state elections in 1985, but after 98 electoral defeats 78-year-old Hasnuram Ambedkari 'Dharti Pakad' is still as eager to file his nomination in this Lok Sabha polls.

"This time also I am sure that I will be defeated on both seats. But, my aim is to contest for the 100th time, and after that, I will not contest any election," says Ambedakri, who earns his living as MNREGA worker.

Ambedkari, who hails from Kheragarh tehsil of Agra district, fought his first election as an Independent in March 1985 against the Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) candidate from Kheragarh constituency of Agra district.

On Friday, he again had the nomination papers in his hands and said he would file them for the Agra reserved seat and Fatehpur Sikri seat.

"I have fought elections since 1985 for Gram Pradhan, state assembly, gram panchayat, MLA, MLC, and Lok Sabha. I also filed my candidature for the post of President of India but that was rejected..,," he said.

His journey of consistently contesting elections as an Independent and losing has even got him the Hindi sobriquet of 'Dharti Pakad' given to such candidates after the famous Kaka Joginder Singh 'Dharti Pakad', who had unsuccessfully contested over 300 elections - even the presidential polls.

On what prompted him to contest successive elections, he told PTI, "I left my job for the post of 'Amin' in the Agra tehsil at the end of the year 1984 as I was promised a ticket by the BSP a ticket to contest from the Kheragarh seat.

"But I was later refused the ticket by the then convener of the party in the region and he mocked me 'tumhe tumhari biwi vote nahi degi, toh koi or kya tumhe vote dega' (Even your wife will not vote for you, then why would others)." To avenge the humiliation, Ambedkari said, he contested the seat and got third place in the election result. "I made my plan to contest more elections to prove that I can also get votes from people," he said.

Ambedkari shared that he is a follower of Dalit icon Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar and actively associated with the Backward and Minority Communities Employees' Federation (BAMCEF) from the year 1977 till 1985.

"On Monday, I will file nominations for both the seats and after completing the nomination procedure will visit people to seek votes," said Ambedkari.

He said his wife Shiva Devi (70) and sons support his "dream of contesting elections" and support him financially to file nominations for the election.

"I go personally to meet my supporters and request them to vote for me in the election. I also send handwritten postcards of appeal to vote for me to those whom I am not able to contact physically," he said.

"I have five sons and all are working as labourers and are married. My daughters-in-law, grandchildren and daughters all support me in the campaign," he said Voting in Agra and Fatehpur Sikri Lok Sabha seats will be on May 7 in the third phase of Lok Sabha elections. The filing of nominations began on April 12 and would continue till April 19.