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Parties focus on caste factor

None | ByBK Singh, Allahabad
Oct 20, 2006 01:09 AM IST

WITH LESS than two weeks left for the polling, denizens are gripped with a moot question: Who will be the next mayor of the city? Going by the caste equations, which have been seen as playing dominant part in all elections till now, the mayoral polls too in all probabilities would veer around the same factor.

WITH LESS than two weeks left for the polling, denizens are gripped with a moot question: Who will be the next mayor of the city?

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HT Image

Going by the caste equations, which have been seen as playing dominant part in all elections till now, the mayoral polls too in all probabilities would veer around the same factor.

Though there are many contestants in the fray partywise there are three main aspirants. The fourth party BSP is not in direct fight but is supporting a candidate.

The Samajwadi party has chosen to field a Brahmin candidate Vinod Chandra Dube while the Congress has picked up Ch Jitendra Singh, a Kayastha candidate.

On the other hand, in reply to Samajwadi party's choice of a Brahmin, the BJP has also fielded a person of the same caste.

On their part, BJP leaders are maintaining silence over their choice of a Brahmin candidate despite the fact that the Samajwadi Party had fielded a candidate of the same caste.

Though BSP had earlier decided not to contest the civic polls for various factors, it later decided to support a candidate, who is contesting the election on a different symbol other than that of the BSP. Local leaders and workers of the party are supporting Kumar Narain, who is also said to be a strong candidate.

So with the BSP deciding not to allow Kumar Narain to contest the election on its party symbol it is to be seen how far the candidate would be able to garner the Dalit votes, the traditional votes of the party.

Kumar also belongs to the Kayastha community.

So with caste politics being a decisive factor in all prestigious election, the run up to the Mayoral election is taking an interesting turn.

Going by 2001 census, which does not include the cantonment population, the head count within the boundaries of the Nagar Nigam was 9,90, 298. But as of now, sources said, the same population has gone up to around 16 lakh.

This also includes people living in the Cantonment area.

However, it remains to be seen whether voters would strictly exercise their franchise on the basis of caste or would keep other factors also in their mind while choosing the mayor of this prestigious town.

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