Fourth front also deflated

NEW DELHI | LUCKNOW: The fourth front seemed to be unravelling with LJP leader and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Monday skipping the SP-sponsored rally at Rampur. While Lalu Prasad joined SP general secretary Amar Singh at the rally, Mr Paswan, who was in the Capital, gave it a miss. The Rampur election is significant for SP. Its candidate Jayaprada, who is facing a formidable candidate in Congress��� Begum Noor Bano, does not have the complete backing of her party in the district.

Azam Khan, who has rebelled against her candidature, is aiding the Congress��� electoral efforts in the constituency. SP has made the electoral battle in Rampur a prestige issue and it was expecting fourth front allies to put up a show of solidarity.

If Mr Paswan���s absence is anything to go by, he does not want to burn bridges with Congress. Mr Paswan���s ���free lancer��� status must be cause of relief for Congress. Although LJP is not expected to be a big component of the fourth front, after the polls, Mr Paswan would have added more political muscle to the front���s bargaining.
Reports from Rampur indicate that Azam Khan is now seeking to ensure the victory of Begum Noor Bano, after spending his political career spewing venom against the Rampur royal family.

His workers are campaigning for the Begum, and Mr Khan, without taking Congress name, has been campaigning in its favour. Congress overtures towards Mr Khan is also evident as party president Sonia Gandhi, at a rally in the constituency, openly extended support to the setting up the Maulana Ali Jauhar University. Mr Khan started out his political career by opposing the domination of the Mahal (read palace of the Rampur royals). He has a history of animosity with the royal family, whose various members have played a long innings in politics.