BJP ahead of SP and BSP in the triangular contest in UP: Venkaiah

New Delhi, May 2 (UNI) Claiming that the BJP was ahead of others in the triangular contest with Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party in Uttar Pradesh, the party today expressed confidence that it would be in a position to form the government inthe state.

Senior BJP leader and party's election in charge in Uttar Pradesh, M Venkaiah Naidu, said though it was difficult to claim that the party was in a position to form the government on its own, at this juncture. The Congress was a 'minor player' in the state polity but had pockets of influence in some places like Rae Bareli and Sultanpur.

He said he was sure that the people of UP would give a definite verdict considering three 'bad experiments' in the state, including the coalition where BJP was a part.

Accusing the SP and BSP of pandering to the base casteist sentiments, he said BJP was appealing the voters to give a clear cut mandate for the party on the basis of 'character, capacity and conduct'.

The BSP, which wanted to 'boot out' the upper castes, had only changed its slogans but not its attitude, he claimed. ''Merely by offering 'ticket lollipops' to Brahmin candidates and by changing their drama script, they can't become 'sarvajan party' (party of all),'' he said, adding that the party stood confined to one caste (dalits) it represented.

Mr Naidu appealed to the Election Commission to be liberal to the voters without Identity Cards. While the BJP appreciated the steps taken by the EC to eliminate bogus voters, one should bear it in mind that the poor uneducated masses did not posses other identity proofs like driving licences or ration cards to prove their identity.

''There should be some relaxation to the voters to approach the Election Officers in the booths to prove their bonafides. If the party representatives in the booths identify the voter and the other did not object, the person should be allowed to cast his vote without ID cards,'' he advocated.

This should be allowed considering the low turn out at the five rounds of polling in the state which hovered around 45 per cent, he said.

UNI