Film distributor Shakeel Saifi is BSP’s candidate in East Delhi LS seat

NEW DELHI: BSP, which is hoping to make a debut in Delhi, promises to add glam quotient to the Lok Sabha elections. Its candidate from East Delhi, Shakeel Saifi, who is a member of censor board and a film distributor, has lined up Bollywood singers like Honey Singh, Daler Mehndi, Palak Muchhal and actors for campaigning.

Saifi was earlier general secretary of Congress Pradesh Committee and claims his main role was to get Bollywood personalities for Congress campaigns. "I was with Congress, but the Muzaffarnagar riots changed my opinion. They did nothing," he said. His main focus is to tap the Muslim voters in his constituency. He added that DVDs of the movies distributed by his company will be given out to people.

The party will field Abdul Sami Salmani, who was also with Congress, from North East. Salmani is Haj Committee member and had helped Congress MP J P Agarwal win the North East seat in the last LS elections. He owns salons and is giving free haircuts to people in the area. "I've been with Congress for 35 years and headed their minority cell. But now, the ideology of the party has changed," he said.

In New Delhi constituency, it will be one journalist pitted against another. BSP is fielding Solomon George, editor of a newspaper, against AAP's Ashish Khaitan. In the 2008 Delhi elections, George had contested from Model Town.

The party is targeting Congress’ traditional Poorvanchali voters and unauthorized colonies. From South Delhi constituency, which has the maximum number of unauthorized colonies, BSP has fielded Sanjay Rai. A resident of Sangam Vihar, Rai wants to change the connotations of the word 'Bihari'.

The other BSP candidates said the elections are likely to be a three-cornered contest between BJP, AAP and BSP. "The anti-incumbency wave is so strong that Congress has no chance," said M L Tomar, the BSP in-charge in Delhi. The campaigning has already started and nominations will be filed after March 20. "Mayawati will be coming for campaigning," he said.

A hip-hop BSP anthem has been composed by a renowned DJ and it will be soon released online and on radio. But the Chandni Chowk candidate Narender Pandey said he will start campaigning once Mayawati comes. West Delhi candidate Rajpal Prajapatiwill be banking on the Prajapati community (OBCs).