The Samajwadi Party is fielding nine candidates and all of them in constituencies where the Congress has a candidate.
The Samajwadi Party is out to hurt the Congress’s prospects. It is fielding nine candidates and all of them in constituencies where the Congress has a candidate.
The Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party have split the state’s 48 seats between themselves, with the Congress contesting 25 and the NCP the remaining 23.
The Samajwadi Party’s state unit chief, Abu Azmi, said his party is not contesting in constituencies with NCP candidates because NCP chief Sharad Pawar has been sympathetic to the SP.
Fielding candidates in constituencies with Congress nominees came about after the Congress refused to have a seat-sharing deal with the SP. The SP had sought a seat for Azmi from the Congress’s quota but the latter refused, saying the SP was never considered as a probable ally in the state. Worse, the Congress snub came at the eleventh hour, forcing the SP to scramble its nominations at the last minute.
Interestingly, two of the SP’s nine candidates are former NCP workers. The SP’s Nandurbar candidate, former NCP man Sharad Gavit, is NCP leader and tribal welfare minister Vijaykumar Gavit’s brother. He is contesting against the Congress candidate Manikrao Gavit.
Though the NCP and Congress are alliance-bound to help each other, but few doubt that the NCP will back Sharad Gavit.
The other ex-NCP man is the SP candidate in Aurangabad, Ayub Jahagirdar. He is fielded against Congress candidate Uttamsinh Pawar and here too, the expectation is that the NCP will back the SP candidate.
There is little chance of any of the nine SP contestants winning, but a good chance to hurt the Congress’s chances since both draw support from many common voters. For instance, Azmi is contesting in Mumbai North West, against Gurudas Kamat of the Congress and Gajanan Kirtikar of the Shiv Sena.
His presence is expected to divide the secular votes, thus helping the Sena candidate. In this constituency, more than 40% of voters are Muslims and/or North Indian. No wonder then that Azmi boasts he will win this seat.
The SP had allied with the Congress in 1998 and the NCP in 1999. In 2004, it contested the polls on its own and lost in all its 14 seats.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}