BSP giving tough fight to SP for Muslim support

AZAMGARH | MAU | BALLIA | GHAZIPUR: The Samajwadi Party may be the first choice of Muslim voters in eastern Uttar Pradesh, but Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party is likely to widen its support among members of the community in areas that go to polls in the last two phases of the election, on March 4 and March 8.

Muslim votes are considered to be the decisive factor in Azamgarh, Mau, Ballia and Ghazipur districts in particular.

The new supporters may make all the difference to the BSP in the 28 constituencies in this region as the party seems to be losing some of its traditional support among the non-Yadav other backward classes (OBCs) or most backward castes (MBCs) such as Rajbhar, Bind and Lonia to the BJP, which looks set to force a triangular contest on most of these seats.

The BSP is getting support of local political party Ulema Council in Azamgarh, apart from Ansari brothers, whose areas of influence include Mau, Ballia and Ghazipur.

On the other hand, members of MBCs have become vocal supporters of BJP-Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party alliance, which commands support of the Rajbhar voters, who have considerable presence in more than 20 seats of the four districts.

In 2012 polls, BSP had lost several seats by a small margin of votes. So, the possible increase in its support base among Muslim voters will come in handy.

The active campaigning by the Ulema Council leaders in favour of BSP does not augur well for the SP in its bastion in Azamgarh.