Independents, smaller parties in for shock in UP

Lucknow, Apr 23: The fate of smaller political parties and independents hangs in balance in Uttar Pradesh assembly polls as poll predications indicate their unsuccessful run this time.

In the present assembly, smaller parties ruled the roost and had their say in the government formation, but the new assembly to be constituted after May 13 may have a different scenario.

In the 2002 polls, 16 Independents, along with over 29 candidates of smaller parties had won seats.

According to political observers, this time the for main political parties, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress, have ensured that the election remains centered around them.

However, smaller parties like Apna Dal, JD(U), Rashtriya Lok Dal, Janmorcha, Lok Janshakti Party, CPI, CPI(M), CPI(ML) and United Democratic Front(UDF) might spring a suprise by snatching some important seats from the main political parties.

While Apna Dal and JD(U) have tied with the BJP, the Janmorcha, CPI, UDF and CPI(ML)have made a pre-poll alliance after their talks with Congress failed.

A new combination of Indian Justice Party(IJP) with the newly floated Samajwadi Kranti Dal (SKD) of rebel SP MP Beni Prasad Verma is also expected to give some anxious moments to the ruling Samajwadi Party.

Almost all the parties have fielded candidates in large numbers, and are creating problems for the national and regional parties.

In this assembly poll, the number of total candidates is less by at least 100, whereas the number was 5,533 in the 2002 polls.

In the last assembly polls, RLD won 14 seats and was the main gainer in the smaller parties section, with a poll percentage of 2.49 Apna Dal won 3 seats by achieving 2.17 per cent of votes while other smaller parties get less than one per cent of the votes polled.

The independents also achieved around 4 per cent of votes polled in the 2002 polls.

UNI