12-19-2004, 03:31 AM
Battle for Akbarpur: Caste's the key
Statesman News Service
LUCKNOW, Dec. 17. ââ¬â
http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?...sess=1&id=63239
The stakes are high for both the BSP and the SP in the 20 December
by-election for the Akbarpur Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh.
The Bahujan Samaj Party has won the last four times with Miss Mayawati
winning by a margin of nearly 55,000 in May. This time, however, the
chief minister, Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav, has been campaigning
aggressively for the by-election on 20 December.
The Samajwadi Party has fielded Mr Shanklal Manjhi, a minister, who
had lost to Miss Mayawati in the May election. The BSP's candidate is
Mr Tribhuvan Dutt, a former MP. The Congress, playing on the caste
equations in the constituency, has fielded Mr Ummed Singh Nishad,
husband of Phoolan Devi. The BJP has nominated Mr Rajendra Choudhry, a
new face.
The SP supporters are declaring that the birthplace of the Socialist
leader Ram Manohar Lohia would no longer be in the hands of the
follower of Baba Saheb Ambedkar. There was an eight per cent gap
between the BSP and the ruling SP in this constituency at the last
election.
Like last time, the BSP has raked up the issue of scrapping of
Ambedkarnagar district (Akbarpur falls in the district) by Mr Yadav.
Miss Mayawati has said that the district was formed during her regime
and Mr Yadav deliberately scrapped it. <b>The BSP allege that Mr Yadav
abolished the district because it was "named after Ambedkar and it
betrayed his anti-Dalit feelings" even though he claims to be a
socialist and a follower of Lohia Miss Mayawati raised the issue to her advantage in May and the angered voters voted against the SP.</b> However, the situation has changed since, because the High Court has now reinstated the district,
Akbarpur goes to polls because Miss Mayawati, in a surprise move, quit
the seat to become a Rajya Sabha member. The polling was to be held in
October but the Election Commission scrapped the notification as it
was issued in an "unauthorised" manner.
The Congress, which polled only 3.8 per cent votes in May, is hoping
to make it a triangular contest. <b>It hopes to cut into the BSP's Dalit
base. </b>Phoolan's mother hopes to provide an emotional touch by voicing
her support for Ummed.
Statesman News Service
LUCKNOW, Dec. 17. ââ¬â
http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?...sess=1&id=63239
The stakes are high for both the BSP and the SP in the 20 December
by-election for the Akbarpur Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh.
The Bahujan Samaj Party has won the last four times with Miss Mayawati
winning by a margin of nearly 55,000 in May. This time, however, the
chief minister, Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav, has been campaigning
aggressively for the by-election on 20 December.
The Samajwadi Party has fielded Mr Shanklal Manjhi, a minister, who
had lost to Miss Mayawati in the May election. The BSP's candidate is
Mr Tribhuvan Dutt, a former MP. The Congress, playing on the caste
equations in the constituency, has fielded Mr Ummed Singh Nishad,
husband of Phoolan Devi. The BJP has nominated Mr Rajendra Choudhry, a
new face.
The SP supporters are declaring that the birthplace of the Socialist
leader Ram Manohar Lohia would no longer be in the hands of the
follower of Baba Saheb Ambedkar. There was an eight per cent gap
between the BSP and the ruling SP in this constituency at the last
election.
Like last time, the BSP has raked up the issue of scrapping of
Ambedkarnagar district (Akbarpur falls in the district) by Mr Yadav.
Miss Mayawati has said that the district was formed during her regime
and Mr Yadav deliberately scrapped it. <b>The BSP allege that Mr Yadav
abolished the district because it was "named after Ambedkar and it
betrayed his anti-Dalit feelings" even though he claims to be a
socialist and a follower of Lohia Miss Mayawati raised the issue to her advantage in May and the angered voters voted against the SP.</b> However, the situation has changed since, because the High Court has now reinstated the district,
Akbarpur goes to polls because Miss Mayawati, in a surprise move, quit
the seat to become a Rajya Sabha member. The polling was to be held in
October but the Election Commission scrapped the notification as it
was issued in an "unauthorised" manner.
The Congress, which polled only 3.8 per cent votes in May, is hoping
to make it a triangular contest. <b>It hopes to cut into the BSP's Dalit
base. </b>Phoolan's mother hopes to provide an emotional touch by voicing
her support for Ummed.