SP aiming to garner 'sympathy' votes

Etah, Mar 31 (UNI) With 62 Uttar Pradesh assembly seats in 13 districts going for polls in the first phase on April 7, the ruling Samajwadi Party, which currently holds 24 seats in the area, is trying to project itself as an 'aggrieved party'and garner sympathy votes in the home-base of Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav.

In the 2002 UP assembly poll, the SP had taken a decisive lead in this region, capturing 24 seats, mostly in the Yadav-Muslim dominated areas of Etah, Etawah, Maipuri and Auraiyya.

This area has been the traditional stronghold of the SP chief and a defeat on any of these seats could reflect on the overall performance of the party.

In the first phase of the poll, while the Congress is not even expectedto play a cameo, BJP national vice-president Kalyan Singh, who was the SP's ally in 2002, and helped it bag 16 seats in the region by defeating the BJP, is now holding the BJP'sflag.

The Agra division, which has the largest number of 26 assembly seats in the first phase, has the distinction of being the home of both Kalyan Singh and Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Both these leaders have a strong grip on the voters of their respective caste, although the 'upper caste card' played by BSP supremo Mayawati is adding a strong third dimension to the fight.

However, analysts claim that MS Mayawati lackS loyalty in her ranks, which was evident from the large number of BSP MLAs, who defected to the SP after being elected in the previous poll.

To give moral support to party workers, Mr Yadav is contesting the election in the first phase from Bharthana, while his brother and state PWD minister Shivpal Singh is fighting from Jaswant Nagar assembly seat, raising the issues of 'dacoit-less Chambal', development, new bridges, roads, colleges, oppression by Congress led UPA government and better law and order.

The SP is claiming Etah, Etawah, Mainpuri and Auraiyya regions have received the maximum attention of the Mulayam Singh Yadav government in the last three years rule and the region has developed better than other areas of UP.

UNI