From Pradeep Kapoor
With the emergence of several prime ministerial candidates from Uttar Pradesh, it has become a major battleground for political parties.
AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi is the undisputed leader of Congress, who is being perceived to be a potential candidate for the post of prime minister if his party gets the majority or emerges as the single largest party.
Rahul Gandhi is taking UP very seriously as it sends 80 members to Lok Sabha and this state plays a very important role in the government formation at the centre.
During his recent interaction with party MPs from UP in New Delhi, Rahul Gandhi asked the party leaders to enter the fray with full confidence as Congress was sure to get more than 40 seats from this state.
Rahul Gandhi, who was instrumental in dividing the state organisation in eight zones, is busy changing the zonal heads now.
The zonal heads, who are sitting MPs, would be replaced by other senior leaders so that MPs could devote time to their constituencies.
Rahul Gandhi is also busy in giving final touches to the list of district and city presidents in consultation with UPCC President Nirmal Khattri. The list is slated to be announced soon.
Similarly, the BJP national president and former chief minister Rajnath Singh is also playing his cards very well.
BJP leaders do not rule out possibility of Rajnath Singh emerging as potential candidate if there was no consensus on the Gujarat CM Narendra Modi due to opposition to his candidacy from NDA partners.
Enjoying support from RSS, Rajnath Singh very well knows about his chances of becoming the potential consensus candidate and that is why he is taking a keen interest in party’s affairs in UP.
Singh has shown interest in winning over senior leaders in UP and is ready for adjustment, so that there should be smooth sailing for the BJP in UP and party should send more MPs to Lok Sabha.
Samajwadi Party national president and former chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav is also a very serious candidate for the coveted post of the prime minister.
Mulayam Singh Yadav has been asking his party leaders and workers to ensure at least 50 seats from UP in Lok Sabha.
The Samajwadi Party leader wants to become the prime minister if people of India vote for hung Lok Sabha and his party emerges as the largest group after Congress and BJP.
Taking these elections very seriously, Mulayam Singh Yadav has taken lead over other rival parties by announcing party candidates for almost all the seats.
Mulayam Singh Yadav is also talking about formation of non-BJP and non-Congress front and he wants to become its leader on the basis of strength of his party may show after the polls in 2014.
Mulayam and his chief minister son Akhilesh Yadav have made it clear to party MPs, MLAs and other important leaders, to sink their differences to enable “Netaji” (Mulayam) to become the prime minister this time.
The BSP supremo Mayawati is also working very hard to emerge as the leader of the party having maximum number of seats after Congress and BJP.
Mayawati has been touring the entire country and asking her party workers to provide her the opportunity of unfurling national flag from Red Fort after 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
Mayawati has also been asking her party leaders to send large number of MPs in Lok Sabha so that she could become the prime minister.
In UP, Mayawati is banking on good number of seats on the formula of social engineering and to capitalise on deterioration in law and order situation in UP.
Mayawati has not only revived the bhaichara samities to interact with different castes and has announces her plan to hold conventions all over the state followed by big public meetings.
Senior political analyst Ramesh Dixit says it would be interesting to follow the developments in UP in near future because of so many prime ministerial candidates fighting turf wars in the state. [IPA]