
Pending the launch of her own party, Uma Bharati has adopted candidates of regional parties in UP and Madhya Pradesh to spite BJP in two prestigious by-elections.
Bharati has decided to back Apna Dal candidate Prabha Singh Lodhi in the Rae Bareli constituency, from where Congress president Sonia Gandhi is set to seek re-election to the Lok Sabha, sources close to her said. Bharati and her senior colleagues 8212; former Union ministers of state Chinmayanand and Prehlad Patel and former UP minister Ravindra Shukla 8212; would accompany Prabha when she would file her nomination papers on April 13, they added.
Thereafter, the former MP Chief Minister would campaign in the constituency for two days. Though Sonia8217;s victory is considered a foregone conclusion, Bharati8217;s goal would to overtake the BJP.
The adoption of Prabha is, in fact, a return favour by Bharati to Apna Dal president Sone Lal Patel, who had not only extended his support to her, but had also participated in her April-21 rally here. Both Bharati and Patel are seeking to enlarge their social support bases by forging this alliance. Bharati belongs to the backward Lodh community and Patel is a Kurmi leader. The choice of a Lodh candidate by the Apna Dal chief reinforces this strategy.
Bharati is scheduled to launch her own party in Varanasi on April 30. Her future plans also include a rally at Lucknow.