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First round of UP election crucial for BJP

Sharat Pradhan in Lucknow

The first round of polling in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday may determine the fate of Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies.

Even though polling in the opening round is only on 92 of the 403 seats, the round is significant as the BJP considers western Uttar Pradesh its stronghold.

While BJP is directly in the fray on 60 of these seats, its allies are contesting 32 seats.

Rashtriya Lok Dal is contesting in as many as 25 of these seats.

The BJP is confident of adding at least three more to its existing strength of 42, and it considers RLD's kitty to prove significant in forming the government again.

"Together with our allies, we are confident of bagging at least 71 seats of the 92 seats here," Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Raj Nath Singh said.

"The mini NDA will definitely pull off a majority in Uttar Pradesh," the chief minister claimed.

BJP national general secretary Ramapati Ram Tripathi said, "BJP and its allies have their hold on 55 of these seats; and any upward movement would be a meaningful gain for the mini NDA."

With Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and the Congress having their hold on 21, eight and seven seats respectively, it may not be any kind of sweep or even smooth sail for the 'mini' NDA.

"BJP leaders are talking off their hat. I can assure you that the ruling party and its allies are in for a jolt in this belt. They are bound to go down substantially and there is no question of retaining what they managed to grab last time," Congress leader Salman Khurshid said.

Apart from the visible resurgence of the Congress in certain pockets, it is the Kalyan Singh factor that is bound to harm BJP's prospects. Even party insiders on the condition of anonymity admit that the ousted BJP leader had made a dent in the party vote bank in some parts of western Uttar Pradesh.

Kalyan Singh's backward Lodh community, which has a sizeable presence, has openly declared war against the BJP.

BJP's stress in this area could be gauged from the fact that party leaders have addressed as many as 130 election rallies in this belt.

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