BSP to field 100 Muslims in 2017 UP elections

BIJNOR: The Bahujan Samaj Party ( BSP) on Saturday announced its decision to field five Muslim candidates out of eight assembly seats in Bijnor. Mayawati's apparent attempt at combining Dalit-Muslim votes has sent the ruling Samajwadi Party into a tizzy.

The SP, on the other hand, has only fielded four Muslim candidates for the district's eight seats.

Notably, BSP has tentatively decided to field over 100 Muslim candidates, its highest ever, in the 2017 polls - majority of them in the western Uttar Pradesh.

Bijnor has a significant Muslim population. Many assembly segments here have more than a lakh Muslims and over 50,000 Dalit votes. In the last assembly elections, BSP had won four seats in the district while BJP and SP got two each.

Of the eight seats here, two are reserved.

BSP's Moradabad mandal coordinator Jitendra Sagar said, "The decision to field five Muslim candidates here was taken by party supremo Mayawati. It will surely benefit our party's prospects in the 2017 polls."

According to a recent report, BSP has tentatively decided to field over 100 Muslim candidates, its highest ever, in the 2017 polls - majority of them in the western Uttar Pradesh.SP's district president Anil Yadav, however, said, "BSP's strategy will not impact our party. Our foundation is solid. Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav is working very well. Our party will retain power in the next polls."