BSP hopes to increase its share of seats in J&K polls

Jammu, Oct 21 (UNI) Riding high on the victory in Uttar Pradesh, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in Jammu and Kashmir has started consolidating its ''strong points'' to spring a surprise in the forthcoming Assembly elections in the state.

The BSP, which had secured only one seat in last Assembly polls, aimed higher at 20 seats in the 2008 elections of the state, party's state president Yash Pal said yesterday.

''The party is strengthening itself in the state, particularly in rural and bordering belts in Jammu region, and we are sure that we will win 15 to 20 seats in the forthcoming elections,'' he said, asserting that the BSP also aimed at two seats in the Kashmir region.

After making a clean sweep in Uttar Pradesh, BSP president and UP Chief Minister Mayawati was now interested in the elections of Jammu and Kashmir.

''She is arriving in Jammu on November 18 and will devise a strategy for the elections,'' Mr Pal said.

In the state where political think-tanks did not find any possibility of majority for any single party, the BSP planned to hold ''an effective share'' in the 87-member state Assembly.

UNI