Big hopes of small parties ride on UP local body elections

By Vivek Tripathi

Lucknow, April 16 (SocialNews.XYZ) Small political parties in Uttar Pradesh are busy trying their luck in the urban local body polls, scheduled on May 4 and 11. The parties are seeing these elections as an opportunity to test their preparedness for the Lok Sabha polls next year.

According to political analysts, small parties play a more active role during the elections. Their aim through this election is to prepare the ground so that they can easily negotiate. They try to win some seats by making strategies at the ethnic and regional level due to which there is a possibility of an alliance with the big parties in the future.

The small parties are working on strategies to get better results. They are carefully selecting candidates and are also keeping an eye on bringing the rivals of the big parties to their side.

The Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (Subhaspa), All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), Apna Dal (Kamerawadi), RLD and Aam Aadmi Party have set a target of winning the maximum seats in the upcoming elections.

The Subhaspa party has declared 5 names for the mayor's post, 87 for Nagar Palika Parishad chairperson and 117 candidates for the Nagar Panchayat chairperson.

Party president Om Prakash Rajbhar said: "The party will make a strong impact in the civic elections with local issues. The election results will show how fast the base of the Subhaspa has grown."

The AIMIM has also announced its candidates for the election. Party president Shaukat Ali said that 24 candidates have been fielded for Nagar Panchayat and Nagar Palika.

Apna Dal (Kamerawadi) had fought the assembly elections in association with the Samajwadi Party, but this time it is fighting alone.

Party leader Gagan Prakash Yadav said: "The alliance made between the two parties at the time of the assembly elections was an electoral alliance. In this election, we are fighting separately. The full seats are not yet decided but from Kashi, we have fielded the candidate for mayor's post. Candidates will contest elections in other Nagar Panchayats and Nagar Palika as well."

The Rashtriya Lok Dal contested the 2022 assembly polls with the SP. Even though the recognition of the party may have gone, but it is contesting the civic elections.

The party's national spokesperson Anil Dubey said: "We have an alliance with the SP. A coordination committee has been formed for this election which is also talking to the SP. Soon we will decide and field our candidates."

The Aam Aadmi Party has so far fielded six candidates for mayoral posts, 40 candidates for Nagar Palika Parishad chairpersons and 97 candidates for Nagar Panchayat chairpersons.

No Independent candidate may have won the mayor's post in the last municipal elections, but the performance in the municipality and the town panchayats has been good. 43 Independents won the post of Nagar Palika Parishad chairperson and 182 Independents won the post of Nagar Panchayat chairperson.

Senior political analyst Ratanmani Lal said: "Civic elections are held in the form of training sessions for small parties. Apart from this, it is an opportunity to prepare for paperwork and an election campaign.

"For small parties, it becomes important that their performance is good. So there is a chance to form an alliance with a bigger party. Through this election, one gets the opportunity to rehearse for the big election. In a big election, there is an opportunity to assess."

Source: IANS