BSP throws weight behind Nandi’s wife

Patel added that all the ‘bhaichara committees’ have been activated. “They had been dissolved after Assembly polls. But they have been revived and the focus is again on the Brahmin and Kayastha community,” he said.

Party office-bearers up to the level of zonal coordinators,as well as BAMCEF and BSP’s own ward-level committees have been activated for the same,claimed Patel. The zonal coordinators have already held several meetings in this regard. The local committees are holding regular meetings in the run up to the polls to drum up support in favour of Abhilasha.

Earlier,when the BSP was in power,it had sought to get the ULB polls conducted without party symbol. However,the Allahabad High Court had declared the change in the rules as unconstitutional. After the Assembly polls in February-March,in which it lost to the Samajwadi Party,the BSP said that it would not contest the ULB polls. Later,however,it decided to support candidates for the post of mayor.

Meanwhile,the SP has neither declared an official candidate nor is supporting any candidate in the mayor’s elections. As a result,at least three candidates,mostly wives of political leaders from SP,are in the fray.

On the other hand,infighting has been affecting the chances of Congress and BJP. While the Congress had to withdraw its official candidate and support a consensus candidate Shiri Wadhawan (contesting as Independent), BJP’s candidate Dr Kamla Singh is facing tough fight from Shail Tanaya Srivastava. She also resigned from state-level party post.

Sources in the Congress even maintained that it had hoped for better prospects in the eventuality of the BSP not contesting the ULB polls. The party was hoping that some of the core votes of the BSP could come its way. “But with the BSP in the race for all practical purposes,that possibility is obviously gone,” said an office-bearer.