A few days back, he made me leave the house when I spoke out against the sale of the ancestral house.'

Concerned about her future, local journalists have approached the district administration for help.

'We were taken by surprise and shocked to know that the wife of a former MLA now collects alms,' Gonda Additional District Magistrate Sukhlal Bharti told IANS.

'We have ordered an inquiry into the incident and will make every possible arrangement to help her.'

Chief Development Officer Ramdas added that they would get in touch with the office of Chief Minister Mayawati for assistance.

Suraj Lal Gupta represented the Utraula Vidhan Sabha seat in Balrampur district, 35 km from Gonda town.