Third Front hopes to play kingmaker

Generally clubbed together as the Third Front, these parties have already released their first list of candidates, and initiated their campaigns. At present, the front is represented by 16 MLAs, including some Independents. It is hoping to increase on the number. ‘‘We may not win all 150 seats but we will definitely disturb the balance,’’ says SJF president Lokendra Kalvi.

‘‘The arithmetic is simple. We will be the deciding factor since the contest between the Congress and the BJP will be close. And the way we see it, this time there will be a hung Assembly,’’ he adds.

The SJF is confident that all those who are denied tickets by the Congress and the BJP will knock on its door and eat into the votebank of both parties. While Kalvi’s party is the weakest link in the front, the others have strengthened their base in the desert state.

This time, the BSP is fielding candidates on all 200 seats, 50 up from the last elections in 1998. ‘‘We have a very strong base in the tribal belt, and of course, the Scheduled Castes and Dalits are with us. The election results will show that no government can be formed in Rajasthan without the BSP,’’ says BSP vice-president Kailash Meena. In the last elections, without any real preparations, the BSP managed to win two seats and a decent support in many areas. This time, it is better organised and has the BJP as its target, following after Mayawati’s ouster in UP. But ground reality indicates that the BSP is going to eat into the votebanks of both the Congress and the BJP as its support base is generally drawn from traditional Congress voters.

Meanwhile, Chautala and Ajit Singh are focusing on the influential Jat lobby. Chautala has been doing the rounds of Rajasthan frequently, focusing on districts adjoining Haryana. According to poll watchers, Chautala and his men have the potential to damage Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s chances.

The Janta Dal is a smaller but steady force to reckon with. The party has three MLAs now and has picked up a couple of Assembly seats. Union Food Minister Sharad Yadav came down recently to find suitable candidates.

According to Janta Dal’s state vice-president Balchandra Shastri, the party’s will be seen in the tribal belts and it will field more candidates. The other old hands are the CPI and CPI(M). Both have managed a few candidates each time and some of them have been voted back to power twice over.

‘‘The bottom line is that without our support no one comes to power,’’ says Kalvi.