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This is an archive article published on February 3, 1998

A fifth block jostles for space in UP poll arena

LUCKNOW, February 2: Both the United Front and Secular Front are in a disarray in Uttar Pradesh, forcing a five-cornered contest on most of ...

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LUCKNOW, February 2: Both the United Front and Secular Front are in a disarray in Uttar Pradesh, forcing a five-cornered contest on most of the 85 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

While there are four recognised political groups in the state: BJP and allies, Congress-Bharatiya Kisan Kamgar Party (BKKP), United Front and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), a fifth block has emerged due to failure of these parties to have a proper seat adjustment.

Like the 1996 elections, the low index of opposition unity is expected to help the BJP which is the only party to have reached a seat-adjustment with its allies, Loktantrik Congress, Samata Party and Jantantrik BSP.

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The United Front constituents, Samajwadi Party (SP), Janata Dal, CPI and CPM would clash with each other on several seats. The SP chief is so angry with the UF that he has decided to release a separate manifesto of his party.

The UF partners are contesting against each other on at least 32 seats in the state. While SP has fielded its candidates on 81 seats, JDhas put up 26 candidates even as CPI and CPM have nominated seven and one candidate respectively.

There are at least two seats, Ghosi and Machhalishahar where three UF constituents, CPI, SP and JD, candidates would have to battle it out against each other besides their usual rivals, Congress, BJP and BSP.

Similarly, CPI and SP are contesting against each other in Mohanlalganj, Banda, Ghazipur, Tehri and Faizabad. JD and SP will be fighting with each other in 26 other seats.

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The SP had contested on 64 seats in the last elections, leaving 16 for JD, three for CPI and one for CPM besides withdrawing its candidate from Amethi. JD wanted to contest on 20 seats this time, while Mulayam did not want to part with more than 10 which was why consensus eluded UF parties despite Harkishan Singh Surjeet’s arbitration.

Similarly, BSP’s decision to share seats with Secular Front constituents, Rashtriya Janata Party and Rashtriya Janata Dal, too has made it fight with them on at least 25 seats. While RJD has fielded15 candidates, mostly in Eastern UP, Shankar Singh Vaghela’s RJP too has put up 10 candidates.

In BJP’s camp, the Loktantrik Congress has refused to contest its quota of four seats due to wrangling within the party allowing the BJP to field its candidates from there as well, Samata has been given two seats and four to BSP (J). The BJP too, is plagued by dissensions within its ranks.

Though Congress has entered into electoral alliance with Ajit Singh’s BKKP with the former contesting 73 seats, the alliance seems to be in trouble with three Congress and one BKKP candidate unable to contest on party ticket. The Congress candidate from Kaiserganj, Laxmi Narain Mani Tripathi, who is ex-BJP MP, has unilaterally withdrawn his candidature in favour of the SP candidate, Beni Prasad Varma.

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