Smaller outfits plan meet to chart out poll strategy

The move to bring together the smaller political outfits is aimed to increase bargaining power of these parties,particularly the RLD and PPI,for an electoral pact with either Congress or Samajwadi Party ahead of the 2012 Assembly elections.

PPI president Dr Ayub confirmed the meeting on March 2. According to him,all the leaders of the smaller outfits would attend the meeting.

“We will give a name to our new confederation,besides discussing future political strategies in view of the 2012 Assembly elections,” said Ayub. He refused to disclose anything about the policy-making body of the new confederation.

A source in one such outfit said the new confederation is likely to be named First Front. He said the country had already seen the fate of all “Third Fronts” in the past. “So,we will give the message to our voters that we are the frontrunner for power and thus present our confederation as the First Front.”

This was just one proposal,the source clarified.

The office of the new confederation is likely to be in the premises of the RLD office.

Although the smaller outfits have given their consent to join the confederation,there is little possibility that all would remain integrated till 2012 in view of their different political interests. “That is why the RLD and PPI favour the idea of electoral pacts with both the Congress and the SP,” said one source in the Janwadi Party.

Members of the confederation face several contradictions in their political interests at the ground level. If PPI wants to expand its vote bank among the Muslim community,the Bhartiya Samaj Party has its interest in the Rajbhar caste that has considerable numbers in major parts of Eastern UP,particularly districts like Chandauli,Mau,Azamgarh and Ghazipur. Janwadi Party has its base among the Chauhan caste (Lonia).

Sources in the Bhartiya Samaj Party said they prefer to join hands with the Samajwadi Party in view of the party’s grip over Yadav votes.

“There are some assembly constituencies where Yadav and Rajbhar are the most suitable combination to ensure victory of any candidate. So we are interested in SP,” said a source.

On the other hand,Janwadi party does not favour SP. “Joining hands with the SP would invite danger in the consolidation of votes of Most Backward Castes. I will place my view at the February 2 meeting,” Janwadi Party president Sanjay Chauhan said.

Sources in the PPI said the party leadership prefer an electoral pact with both the Congress and the SP. “It can’t ignore the interest of its allies like Bhartiya Samaj party and Janwadi Party in the current situation,” said a PPI source.

The PPI performed well in the recent assembly byelections. The party bagged more votes than the Congress and SP candidates in the bypolls to Domariaganj assembly seat in June last year. The PPI candidates stood third. Moreover, the party knocked on the door of Western UP after putting up a good show in the byelections to the Lakhimpur Kheri seat in November last year.