04-19-2009, 03:59 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Mulayam loses ground,but not hope</b>
pioneer.com
Kumar Uttam | Pratapgarh
They might have lost some ground in eastern Uttar Pradesh but the Samajwadis do not have a reason to lose heart.<b> Mulayam remains a favourite of voters in Allahabad and at least four neighbouring seats</b>, while Mayawati still has to make inroads into the bastion of the red cap-bearers.
The news could come as a big respite for Mulayam Singh Yadav who has made way for Mayawati and the <b>BJP in areas bordering Nepal and Bihar for more reasons than one. Sixteen Lok Sabha seats went to poll in the first phase of election on April 16.</b>
Political observers say in case Mulayam succeeds in defending his fortress in Allahabad and the neighbouring regions, it would certainly make up for the losses he might have been suffering in other areas and bring him back in the reckoning in his fight against the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister.
After reports of initial setbacks, Mulayamâs hopes are hinging on central Uttar Pradesh, more so because he has hardly anything to gain or lose in the Jat land of western UP (areas neighbouring the national Capital), <b>where the coalition of the BJP and RLD is expected to do better this time in the fourth and final rounds of election on May 7 and 13.</b>
But alarm bells could be ringing for Mayawati here. After taking early lead in eastern UP, she was hoping to put Mulayam on a sticky wicket on his home turf so that the difference between her and Mulayamâs party was decisive.<b> The Dalit leader is taking extra pains to pull the rug from under Mulayamâs feet in his citadel and her 10 MLAs, three Ministers and eight special election observers are already out to accomplish the task</b>.
Mayaâs high-profile campaign notwithstanding, her candidates are certainly not putting up a formidable challenge to the Samajwadis. The only competition that the SP is facing is from Apna Dal candidate Atiq Ahmed (he got elected on a SP ticket from Phulpur last time) in Pratapgarh, the homeland of Raja Bhaiya â another muscleman and loyalist of Mulayam Singh Yadav. Raja Bhaiya also has considerable influence among voters in the neighbouring Kaushambi Lok Sabha seat.<b> Mulayam is concentrating on booth-level management and his party has formed committees at the village level to take out supporters of the SP from their houses on polling day and ensure that they vote</b>.
<b>The BJP could have gained a little bit in the aftermath of the Varun âhate speechâ episode but the delay in the announcement of the names of party candidates in this region, especially Allahabad, seems to be taking its toll on the partyâs electoral prospects.</b> Moreover, former Human Resources Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi, who lost to SPâs Reoti Raman Singh in the last election, became so unpopular that even party workers showed no interest in venturing out and seeking votes for the BJP<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
pioneer.com
Kumar Uttam | Pratapgarh
They might have lost some ground in eastern Uttar Pradesh but the Samajwadis do not have a reason to lose heart.<b> Mulayam remains a favourite of voters in Allahabad and at least four neighbouring seats</b>, while Mayawati still has to make inroads into the bastion of the red cap-bearers.
The news could come as a big respite for Mulayam Singh Yadav who has made way for Mayawati and the <b>BJP in areas bordering Nepal and Bihar for more reasons than one. Sixteen Lok Sabha seats went to poll in the first phase of election on April 16.</b>
Political observers say in case Mulayam succeeds in defending his fortress in Allahabad and the neighbouring regions, it would certainly make up for the losses he might have been suffering in other areas and bring him back in the reckoning in his fight against the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister.
After reports of initial setbacks, Mulayamâs hopes are hinging on central Uttar Pradesh, more so because he has hardly anything to gain or lose in the Jat land of western UP (areas neighbouring the national Capital), <b>where the coalition of the BJP and RLD is expected to do better this time in the fourth and final rounds of election on May 7 and 13.</b>
But alarm bells could be ringing for Mayawati here. After taking early lead in eastern UP, she was hoping to put Mulayam on a sticky wicket on his home turf so that the difference between her and Mulayamâs party was decisive.<b> The Dalit leader is taking extra pains to pull the rug from under Mulayamâs feet in his citadel and her 10 MLAs, three Ministers and eight special election observers are already out to accomplish the task</b>.
Mayaâs high-profile campaign notwithstanding, her candidates are certainly not putting up a formidable challenge to the Samajwadis. The only competition that the SP is facing is from Apna Dal candidate Atiq Ahmed (he got elected on a SP ticket from Phulpur last time) in Pratapgarh, the homeland of Raja Bhaiya â another muscleman and loyalist of Mulayam Singh Yadav. Raja Bhaiya also has considerable influence among voters in the neighbouring Kaushambi Lok Sabha seat.<b> Mulayam is concentrating on booth-level management and his party has formed committees at the village level to take out supporters of the SP from their houses on polling day and ensure that they vote</b>.
<b>The BJP could have gained a little bit in the aftermath of the Varun âhate speechâ episode but the delay in the announcement of the names of party candidates in this region, especially Allahabad, seems to be taking its toll on the partyâs electoral prospects.</b> Moreover, former Human Resources Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi, who lost to SPâs Reoti Raman Singh in the last election, became so unpopular that even party workers showed no interest in venturing out and seeking votes for the BJP<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->