Indira's daughters-in-law locked in battle in UP's rice bowl

Pilibhit, Apr 16 (UNI) Two daughters-in-law of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi have locked horns in this prestigious district where four seats are at stake in the third phase of assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, polling for which will be held day after tomorrow.

While BJP MP from Pilibhit Menaka Gandhi is spearheading the party campaign, Congress president Sonia Gandhi sent heavyweight campaigners Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Amethi MP Rahul Gandhi to the region.

This Terai belt of Uttar Pradesh, known for its rich agricultural produce, is dominated by the Sikh community, which holds the balance for any political party.

Over half a million illegal Bangladeshis residing in this rice bowl of Uttar Pradesh are also expected to affect fortunes of the political parties. ''They are certainly going to help Congress or the Samajwadi Party this time,'' said a senior BJP leader. He claimed that while BJP want them deported, the SP and the Congress were demanding permanent citizenship for them.

Bad roads, lack of development and poor power supply in the area are some of the other issues which may put the ruling SP and the sitting BJP MP on the backfoot.

All the four constituencies -- Pilibhit, Puranpur, Barkhera and Bisalpur -- are witnessing a four-cornered contest between the BJP, SP, BSP and the Congress.

Campaigning by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Rahul Gandhi may turn the Sikh voters in favour of the party.

On the other hand, sitting three time BJP MP Menaka Gandhi is facing difficulties in countering the hectic Congress campaign following inner bickerings and alleged apathetic attitude of party leaders. Maneka handpicked all four party candidates from the region.

In the last 2002 assembly polls, Ms Gandhi had fielded her own candidates under the banner of Shakti Dal on all the four seats but all of them lost deposits.

Known as a wildlife activist, the BJP MP also came in the limelight recently when she got a BSP candidate arrested for using an elephant for electioneering. Elephant is the BSP symbol.

The most interesting contest is being witnessed in the Puranpur assembly seat where Menaka's old rival V M Singh of the Congress is pitched against the sitting BJP legislator Dr Vinod Tiwari.

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