US diplomat predicts hung assembly in UP

Varanasi, Mar 9 (UNI) Foreseeing a hung assembly after the coming Uttar Pradesh assembly poll, a leading US diplomat today said the possibility of President's Rule being imposed in the politically crucial state could not be ruled out.

''From the feedback we have gathered from various parts of UP, it appears that no party be it ruling SP, Cong, BSP or BJP is likely to get majority...the post poll scenario can be really confusing, which may also result in central rule being imposed,'' first Secretary Political Affairs in US Embassy, New Delhi Jon P Dorschner said while interacting with newspersons.

The US diplomat alongwith colleagues is on a trip to UP to guage the political mood of the electorate ahead of the seven-phase assembly poll. Before their trip to UP, the US officials had traversed to Uttarakhand.

Mr Dorschner described UP an unusual and unpredictable state dominated by caste-based politics. ''It is full of complexity and social diversity.'' The US diplomat not only expressed his own observation on present political scenario, but also tried to understand the local political equation and the possibilities of pre-poll alliance among various regional and national political parties. The purpose of his visit was to gather feedback from electorate.

UNI