Rejecting the prospect of the Peace Party making dent in the Samajwadi Party’s chances in the 2012 UP elections, state SP chief Akhilesh Yadav has asserted that his party is very much in the reckoning and the Muslims are coming back to the party. Mr Yadav also backs his claim by stating that more than 3,000 prospective candidates have sent their applications to the party for 403 Assembly seats.
Dr Ayub-led Peace Party had secured third position in the Dumariyaganj Assembly byelection by getting the support of the Muslims in the area and had pushed the SP to the fourth position.
The political observers in the state have been of the view that the emergence of the Peace Party could severely damage the prospects of the SP in the 2012 polls.
“The Dumariyaganj byelections was at much smaller scale. When the Muslims in the state have to choose the party of their choice in the Assembly elections, the Peace Party would not make the cut and eventually the SP would get their support,” said Mr Yadav.
The young Yadav leader went on to say that his party has received more than 3,000 applications from those who want to contest the state polls. “People in such a big number will not be applying to a party which is not going to do well. There is definitely a perception among the party workers that the SP will do much better in the 2012 polls,” added Mr Yadav.
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AGP sets tone for state polls
MANOJ ANAND
Guwahati
The regional Asom Gana Parishad, which has started preparing for the Assembly elections has decided to join hands with all those political parties, which have been opposing the use of electronic voting machines.
Announcing that central executive committee of the party asked party president Chandra Mohan Patowary and its senior leaders Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, Atul Bora and Brindaban Goswami to prepare an approach paper on the party’s electoral strategies for the forthcoming Assembly elections, the party spokesman said that regional AGP would oppose the use of EVMs.
The resolutions which were taken at the meeting of the highest decision making body of the party, the central executive committee on Wednesday has also directed the joint leadership of the party to present the approach paper of party for election before the central executive committee of the party on September 19. The joint leadership of the party has also decided to take out a campaign all over the state to consult and rejuvenate the grass root level party workers from September 6 to 17. Speaking at the meeting, former chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta laid stress on following the idea of greater Assamese state, which includes all ethnic groups. Mr Mahanta who has returned to the centre-stage of the party affairs, said, “We need to strengthen the party first before taking any other steps.”
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