Kairana ready for SP-BJP poll battle LUCKNOW: The final round of the poll match between Samajwadi Party and the BJP will be fought in battleground Kairana today. The assembly seat, which fell vacant after senior BJP leader Hukum Singh won the Lok Sabha elections, will serve as the final chance for the BJP to salvage some pride after the SP swept Septembers bypolls 8 seats to BJPs three. For strengthening their chances, the saffron party has deputed senior functionaries to oversee poll preparedness in Kairana; MP Hukum Singh and controversial Thana Bhavan MLA Suresh Rana, both accused in the Muzaffarnagar riots are in charge, while senior leaders Dharmendra Kashyap and Virendra Singh have been appointed observers. Local leaders too, have been asked to pitch in. As far as candidate selection is concerned, BJP has chosen to play it safe, giving away the partys ticket to Hukum Singhs distant relative, another Gujjar leader, Anil Singh Chauhan. The Samajwadi party, on the other hand, is also working overtime in Kairana. Despite the BJPs attempts to polarize elections on communal lines, chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has kept up the development refrain.After tasting victory in eight of the 11 seats that went to polls in September, SP has dispatched three ministers -- Om Prakash Singh, Shahid Manzoor and Ram Sakal Gurjar - and two minister-rank leaders Kairana Rajpal Singh and Aashu Malik to monitor elections in Kairana. The constituency has a sizeable number of Gurjar, Jat and Muslim voters, an equation that was disturbed after the communal violence in Muzaffarnagar and the neighbouring district Shamli, in 2013. After its victory in the by-elections, the SP hopes also to turn the tide in Kairana. The Rashtriya Lok Dal may consider the option of supporting Nahid Hasan of the SP. Hasan, the son of Munawar Hasan, a family that has influenced politics in the region also courted controversy in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls when he made derogatory remarks against Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati. Hasans chances, however, may be dampened by Congress Arshad Hasan, Nahids uncle, who now threatens to split votes in BJPs favour.timesofindia.indiatimes/city/lucknow/Kairana-ready-for-SP-BJP-poll-battle/articleshow/44817919.cms
Posted on: Wed, 15 Oct 2014 04:52:37 +0000
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