By Nilanjana Bhaduri Jha

Times Internet Network

NEW DELHI: Buoyed by the win at Shahjahanpur last month, the Samajwadi Party has set its eyes on forming government in Uttar Pradesh, but feels a post-election alliance between the BJP and BSP could play spoilsport.

The party wants early elections in the state, counting on an anti-incumbency wave against the BJP and with the Congress all but decimated there. It is Kanshi Ram's Bahujan Samaj Party that the Samajwadi Party claims it is most wary of. Both parties are wooing the minorities and the Dalits.

"Mayawati has already become chief minister twice through an opportunistic alliance with the BJP. What stops her a third time?" asks Samajwadi Party spokesman Amar Singh.

Mayawati, he says is being "used by the BJP to divide minority votes to spoil our chances." He admits she could be a "formidable partner of the BJP" in the post election scenario.

Though the BJP and BSP had parted ways the last time around with much acrimony, another alliance may not be an impossibilty. The BJP has already said it is looking at both pre-poll alliances with people like Ajit Singh as well as post-election tie-ups.

The Samajwadi Party has a strong base in UP with all its 27 Members of Parliament from the state. It is also the single-largest party in the state Assembly.

The Shahjahanpur win, the party feels, bodes well, since its candidate Ram Murthy Singh Verma won the Shahjahanpur seat against strong candidates. The seat fell vacant due to the death of veteran Congressman Jitendra Prasada. The Congress fielded Prasada's widow Kanta Prasada, while the BJP had fielded stalwart Satyapal Yadav.

Mulayam Singh Yadav's party is also upbeat after the revival of ties with the Left parties and hopes to cash in on the presence of V P Singh in the recently set up Lok Morcha. "Last time we got 140 seats going alone. This time we have the support of the Left. Without any effort we should get about 180 seats and with a little effort, over 200", claims Amar Singh.

He also points to the fact that with the carving out of Uttaranchal, a little over 200 seats will allow formation of government. The Samjawadi Party's base is largely in the belts that remain in UP.

Party leaders are already camping in the state gearing up for the elections, which could be held anytime before March next year. Other parties are also focussing on UP. BSP leader Mayawati rushed recently to the site of caste clashes in the state with an eye on the elections.

http://www.dailypioneer.com/secon3.asp?cat=\nt5&d=NATION Tacit understanding between BJP, BSP: SP

Pioneer News Service/New Delhi

Samajwadi Party on Friday alleged that there was a "tacit understanding" between BJP and BSP in Uttar Pradesh so that Mayawati could become the chief minister for the third time with BJP support.

"There is a tacit understanding between the two parties. As part of the understanding, BJP will support Mayawati for chief ministership while BSP will reciprocate by supporting the Vajpayee government at the Centre," SP general secretary Amar Singh told reporters.

Mr Singh said the two parties had joined hands to make a dent in Samawjadi Party's minority vote bank.

He recalled the statement of state BJP Vice President Satyadeo Singh that BJP would forge an alliance with Chaudhary Ajit Singh's Rastriya Lok Dal party before election, while it will do the same with BSP after the UP polls to keep SP out of power and thanked Mr Satyadeo Singh "for being truthful despite being in BJP."

"If Mayawati can become Uttar Pradesh Chief minister twice with BJP support, what is the guarantee that she would not do so for the third time," Mr Singh asked.

He said Samajwadi Party would contest the UP polls along with other partners of the lok morcha and maintain equi-distance from both congress and BJP.

Strongly condemning the killing of dalits in the state, he demanded stern action against the perpetrators of the crime.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/nonfram/230601/detNAT27.asp

Paswan raps BSP for caste politics

HTC, New Delhi

LOK JANSHAKTI president Ram Vilas Paswan today charged the BSP with rousing caste passions in Uttar Pradesh over the recent killings of Dalits in the State. He said it was unfair on the BSP's part to exploit petty caste politics for electoral gains.

Maintaining that killing of Dalits resulted from a family feuds and had nothing to do with caste, he said it was not fair to draw political mileage out of the unfortunate incident. BSP leader Mayawati had alleged that Dalits were being killed in UP with an eye on Assembly elections.

Paswan urged the State Government to take adequate steps to prevent recurrence of such incidents.