UP polls;party offices abuzz with ticket seekers

Lucknow, Feb 23 (UNI) Ticket-seekers have not wasted a single day after the announcement of Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, with crowds of aspirants thronging various the party offices since yesterday.

While the party workers are busy making a beeline for the tickets, the leadership has engaged themselves in chalking out their strategy for the strenuous seven-phase poll in the state. ''This is the first time the state is going to have a seven-phase poll process spread over around two months, hence it requires a special strategy,'' said Keshari Nath Tripathi, the state BJP President.

The Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party has already taken a lead by finalising candidates on most of the assembly seats but there are long queues of aspirants in the offices of the ruling Samajwadi Party as well as the BJP and Congress.

The prospect of imposition of President's Rule, though still remaining a point of speculation in political parties, has not seemed to deter aspirants, who are coming in hordes to their respective party offices.

The SP office is the most crowded office with hundreds of party activists, armed with bio-data and their achievements in the social and political fields, gathering outside and seeking appointment with the leaders.

Almost all the parties are wary of the long poll schedule process with Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav going on record to say ''the election process is too long for the comfort of people and various political parties.'' All the government guest houses and hotels around the party offices are booked and the guest houses around the railway stations are also having a gala time.

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