UP polls to witness battle of nerves among ex-CMS

Lucknow, Mar 10 (UNI) Even as all the political parties are busy chalking out strategies for the crucial Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh next month, it is certain that a battle of nerves would be witnessed on the seats to be constested by the ex-chief ministers and their close family members.

Though the announcement of candidatures is yet to be made by the parties, all preparations are on to make the contest comfortable for their re-entry into the 15th Assembly.

Altogether three ex-Chief Ministers and their wards are on the lines to contest the polls in the state.

Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav is expected to contest from Gunnaur seat in Badaun district, while his yonger brother Shivpal Singh Yadav is the Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate from Jaswantnagar seat of Etawah district. However, the Chief Minister's son Akhilesh is already the Lok Sabha member from Kannauj.

BJP vice-president and the party projected CM in the elections, Kalyan Singh has not made up his mind yet to contest the polls but his son Rajveer and daugher-in-law Premlata are expected to contest from Dibai and Atrauli Assembly seats respectively. At present, both are the sitting members from these seats.

Former Prime Minister and UP's ex-CM Vishwanath Pratap Singh, his banker son Ajay Singh are planning to contest from Fatehpur, while another ex-Congress CM Veer Bahadur Singh's son Fateh Bahadur, who recently switched over to BSP from BJP, is also expected to contest from Paniyara seat in Maharajganj district.

Former Prime Minister and UP's ex-CM, Choudhury Charan Singh's son Ajit Singh, who leads the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), might not contest the polls but his party in alliance with the Congress and Janmorcha will give a tough fight to the other parties.

Congress leader and ex-CM Ram Naresh Yadav is also likely to contest from Azamgarh.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati was yet to make up her mind to contest the Assembly polls as last time, she had contested from two seats Harora and Akbarpur. In 2004 general elections, she won from Akbarpur Lok Sabha seat and later went to the Rajya Sabha after resigning from Lok Sabha in 2005.

UNI