BJP’S STRUGGLE TO BOOST PROSPECTUS IN SP BASTION

Lucknow: Political parties are pushing hard for victory in the by-election of Rampur, which was once the parliamentary seat of the country's first education minister Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. With the BSP and the Congress out of the electoral fray, there is a bipolar contest between the SP and the BJP. Azam Khan's close aide Asim Raja is the SP candidate, while former SP MLC Ghanshyam Singh Lodhi is contesting from BJP's side. In this stronghold of SP stalwart and ten-term MLA Azam Khan, the SP is keeping high hopes of getting an edge, while the BJP is also toiling to present itself as a strong contender.

In this by-election the BJP's poll calculation is based on the caste arithmetics. Party strategists estimate that around two lakh Lodh voters will support Ghanshyam Lodhi, apart from OBC voters including 1.25 lakh Mauryas, Saini and Kashyap, the party candidate can also get the support of upper caste voters. Upset over the Congress's decision not to contest the election, disgruntled Congress leader and former minister Kazim Ali Khan alias Naveed Mian has announced his support to the BJP candidate. In such a situation, BJP is also expecting to get the votes of the supporters of the Nawab family. With the BSP not being in the electoral fray.

Yogi government ministers, who belong to western UP, Bhupendra Choudhary, Kapildev Agarwal, Jaswant Saini, Dharamvir Prajapati and Gulab Devi are holding series of meetings of their respective communities here. UP ministers Sandeep Singh, Rakesh Sachan and Union minister BL Verma are also active among voters. Dilip Singh Lodhi, husband of MLA Rajbala of Milak assembly and district panchayat president Khyali Ram Lodhi has been entrusted to connect with the public.