In the land of Deoband, while the Congress is counting on izzat of Qazi Rashid Masood, the Samajwadi Party is making all-out efforts to take revenge on him for having quit the party on poll eve.
However, the ruling BSP is gearing up for the last laugh in the battle of ego between Mr Masood and the Samajwadi Party. Saharanpur is clearly set for a triangular contest, with the BJP being seen strong only in the Saharanpur city seat where Punjabis hold the key.
The Congress appears to be appealing to over 38 per cent Muslim voters in the name of izzat (prestige) of Mr Masood, former Union minister, in Saharanpur. However, the Samajwadi Party in clear attempts to cut Mr Masood to size has fielded five Muslim candidates, while also banking on former Congress leader Yashpal Singh to bring in the Gujjar votes.
However, the BSP, which had bagged five seats in 2007 and had also won the Lok Sabha seat in 2009, is counting on about 30 per cent dalit vote-base along with the Saini community to turn the table both on the SP and the Congress.
For the BSP, Saharanpur also happens to be a place to take special pride in the fact that party supremo Mayawati had earlier been twice elected from Harora, which is now Saharanpur Dehat seat, after delimitation.
The Congress and the SP have also to worry from the fact that Saharanpur has traditionally seen communal pattern of voting, which has benefited the BSP in 2007 and 2009.
Nakur Assembly seat in Saharanpur will be keenly watched as the Congress has fielded Imran Masood, who is a nephew of Mr Masood, against BSP’s Dharam Singh Saini. In the Behat Assembly segment, the SP has fielded son-in-law of Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid in Delhi, Umar Khan, who is pitted against BSP’s Mahavir Rana, who is also the brother of sitting MP Jagdish Rana.
In Deoband, the BSP’s Manoj Choudhary, a Gujjar, is counting on dalit vote-base to upset Congress’ Anil Tanwar, a Thakur. In Gangoh Assembly seat, the BSP and the Congress appear to be in direct fight, while Rampur Maniharan appears to be set for a triangular contest between the BSP, Congress and Samajwadi Party.