After Uttar Pradesh, BSP & SP Seal Poll Deal for Madhya Pradesh & Uttarakhand

Patna: The Bahujan Samaj Party and Samajwadi Party, which have struck a pre-poll deal in Uttar Pradesh, on Monday extended the alliance to two more states: Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

As per the seat-sharing arrangement reached between them, the SP will contest from three constituencies in Madhya Pradesh — Balaghat, Tikamgarh and Khajuraho — and one from Uttarakhand: Pauri Garhwal. The BSP will field its candidate on the reaming 26 seats of MP and four in Uttarakhand.

The Tikamgarh and Khajuraho seats, which are located very close to UP border in the Bundelkhand region, are considered to be politically significant for the SP. “Tikamgarh’s voters have their relatives in UP’s Bundelkhand region. The SP has been contesting elections in the Tikamgarh region from the very beginning,” a person from UP’s Bundelkhand region said. SP’s special interest in Balagahat is because of its association with a local face, Kankar Munjare. “Munjare and his wife Anubha had contested the recent assembly polls from Paraswada and Balaghat on SP ticket. Munjare’s family has good political influence in both assembly constituencies,” the person added.