LUCKNOW: All the mainstream political parties of Uttar Pradesh namely the ruling BJP, Samjwadi Party (SP), Congress and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) have got into poll mode for the urban local body polls due this year end. The UP civic polls are being witnessed as the semi-final before the big battle of 2024.
However, the BJP and SP have to go through another litmus test at the bypoll to three crucial seats—Mainpuri Lok Sabha, Rampur and Khatauli Assembly segments – in the first week of December before going into the civic polls.
All the mainstream parties are gearing up to field the candidates in civic polls on their respective party symbols. While the ruling BJP, SP and Congress have started the process of identifying the probables by appointing in-charges in different districts, smaller players like Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP)
of OP Rajbhar and Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party -Lohia of Shivpal Yadav are also getting ready to register their presence. Even Aam Admi Party (AAP), which had contested the UP Assembly polls-2022 on all seats and lost the deposit on all – is also preparing to fight the civic polls with might.
At present, the delimitation process of municipal wards is going on a war footing and completed in 53 districts of the state till Saturday. In rest 22 districts, the process is on with the urban development department giving final touches to the proposals received from those districts. This will lead to the
issuance of notification for the civic polls.
As per the highly placed sources in BJP, the ruling party would contest the civic polls with a new strategy by fielding or supporting Muslim candidates in wards dominated by a population of minority communities. “The party is weighing both the options of extending support or fielding candidates on party symbol,” said a senior party leader.
The sources claimed that the BJP’s game plan is to reach out to Pasmanda Muslims in civic polls and win them over for Lok Sabha elections in 2024. The BJP, recently, has been quite vocal over the issues of Pasmanda Muslims who are believed to be lagging behind in terms of development in the community.
However, the main opposition Samajwadi Party is gearing up to contest the civic polls in alliance with its tried and tested partner Jayant Chaudhury-led Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD). Both parties will field the candidates in coordination with each other. A committee has been set up on the instructions of SP
chief Akhilesh Yadav. This committee comprises of senior SP and RLD leaders like Shahid Manjoor, ex-MLA Sanjay Garg, Prof Sudhir Panwar, SP MLAs Atul Pradhan and Pankaj Malik, ex-MLC Rakesh Yadav and Shokindra Tomar. The panel has the mandate to select the alliance candidates in western UP and other districts across the state.
However, Shivpal Yadav has already made an announcement to go it alone in civic polls. The rift between Shivpal and his nephew Akhilesh Yadav has been out in open since 2022 UP Assembly elections. Shivpal had parted ways with Akhilesh a couple of months back and was suggested by Akhilesh to focus on his own party- PSPL.
On the other, the Congress party, which got a new state chief in Brijlal Khabri a month ago, is also preparing for the upcoming civic polls. Although the UPCC has yet to get its new executive committee, it has cautiously kept away from the upcoming Mainpuri, Rampur and Khatauli bypolls. The sources claimed that since the party was focusing on civic polls, it decided not to contest the bypoll.
Meanwhile, BSP’s preparations for civic polls are going on in full swing. Party chief Mayawati has entrusted the district committees with the task of screening candidates. The committee will forward three names for each post of the corporator in Nagar Nigams as well as members of Nagar Palika Parishads and Nagar Panchayats to the sector in charge of final selection.
The candidate’s winnability is the main criterion for selection. The candidates aspiring to contest the election have been directed to submit their biodata to the district committee. The candidates for mayoral and chairpersons posts will be finalised by the party’s central committee, said a BSP leader.
According to senior BSP leader Akhilesh Ambedkar, meetings to review preparations for urban local bodies election are being held in each division across Uttar Pradesh.