Yadav clan rebel Shivpal Singh to eat into alliance votes

LUCKNOW: The clash in Samajwadi Party’s first family that resulted in Shivpal Singh Yadav launching his political outfit may end up hitting the SP-BSP-RJD alliance hard on the seats going to polls in the first two phases of polling.
Shivpal-led Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) has fielded its candidates on seats where BSP and RLD candidates are in fray in the first two phases.
Interestingly, in most constituencies, Shivpal has fielded candidates of same caste or religion as that of BSP and RLD, which political experts say could split votes and benefit BJP.Shivpal, the embattled uncle of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav will himself contest against his nephew Akshay Yadav from Ferozabad.
Election commission data shows that PSP(L) has fielded candidates in seven of 10 constituencies BSP is contesting in the first two phases.
PSP(L) has also fielded candidates in two of three seats where RLD candidates are contesting.
In Saharanpur, BSP fielded Haji Fazlurrehman while Congress has pitted Imran Masoon, both eyeing Muslim electorate.
PSP(L) has also fielded a Muslim, Mohammad Uvais resulting in three Muslim candidates being in fray. Similarly, in Meerut BSP’s Yakub Qureshi will have to contest with PSP(L)’s Nasir Ali Khan for Muslim votes.
In Bijnor, where BSP has fielded a Gujjar Malook Nagar, PSP(L) has named Ilam Singh, also a Gujjar, as its candidate. In Gautam Budhnagar too, PSP(L) has fielded Jitendra Singh against BSP’s Satveer.
In Amroha, BSP fielded Danish Ali, who played a key role in bringing JD(S) and Congress together in Karnataka, but PSP also entered the fray with Matloob Ahmad.
PSP has also put up a Jat candidate Deepak Chaudhary against BSP’s Ajit Baliyan in Aligarh.
In Fatehpur Sikri, PSP has fielded Manisha Singh against BSP’s Bhagwan Sharma alias Guddu Pandit and Raj Babbar of Congress.
Shivpal has not fielded candidates against BSP in Nagina, Bulandshar and Agra and has also left Kairana, Hathras and Muzaffarnagar from where SP’s Tabassum Begam, Ramji Lal Suman and RLD chief Ajit Singh are contesting.
PSP(L) has, however, fielded Chaudhary Mohkam, a Jat, against RLD vice-president Jayant Chaudhary in Baghpat, and Jagvir Singh against RLD’s Narendra Singh in Mathura.
In Ghaziabad, which goes to poll in the first phase, Shivpal has fielded Sewa Ram Kasana against SP’s Suresh Bansal.