It’s not a cakewalk in Lucknow

All the four contestants from the major parties in Lucknow are high profile. Hence prophetic predictions can be counter productive

Pradeep Kapoor Lucknow

The Lucknow Lok Sabha constituency is all set to witness a four-cornered contest. UPCC chief, Rita Bahuguna Joshi, filed her nomination on Thursday. This comes close on the heels of the Samajwadi Party (SP) springing a surprise by fielding Nafisa Ali from Lucknow. According to political analysts, it would be an interesting election as all the four contestants are heavyweights making it difficult to predict the outcome.

Speaking to Hardnews, Rita Bahuguna Joshi said that she is a teacher who represented "middleclass aspirations" and would fight the elections on "ideological issues". Her fight would be against big money, caste and communal politics, she asserted. Exuding confidence, she said she wanted to win the elections from the prestigious seat which her late father, HN Bahuguna, had won in 1977. Significantly, Joshi said her main contender was BJP candidate, Lalji Tandon.

About the BSP candidate, Akhilesh Das, who had been Union minister of steel in the UPA government, Joshi pointed out that Das had served two terms in the Rajya Sabha but never raised his voice in Parliament for Lucknow's development. Without naming her SP rival, Nafisa Ali, Joshi said that the Congress had given her a lot of importance, yet she joined the SP.

The election in Lucknow became interesting when SP leader, Amar Singh, almost poached former beauty queen and swimming champion Nafisa Ali from the Congress and inducted Bollywood star, Sanjay Dutt, as the main campaigner. Dutt, earlier named the SP's candidate, had to withdraw after the Supreme Court refused him permission because he was convicted for illegal possession of arms in the wake of the 1993 Bombay bomb serial blast.

The BJP has put up veteran leader, Tandon, as its candidate in Lucknow which was represented by former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, from 1991 to 2009. Tandon is the seniormost BJP leader in Uttar Pradesh with over 45 years' experience in politics. He was Vajpayee's main election manager. He was caught in the scandal of the 'saree stampede' when he was distributing sarees on his birthday to poor women. Several women were crushed to death. Now, he is cashing on Vajpayee's goodwill to seek votes for himself. Known widely as Vajpayee's representative, he has the support of traditional BJP voters. Also, he enjoys good support among the Muslims and reportedly enjoys good relations with the SP leadership, especially Mulayam Singh.

BSP candidate Akhilesh Das, son of former chief minister, Banarsi Das, has the advantage of campaigning for more than a year reaching out to every section of the society. During this time, he ensured that his hoardings and posters were visible on walls at major locations. He has managed to visit almost all the houses in the city and has distributed sweets during Deepawali, Holi and Eid. His overtures to his electorate bears his personal touch. For instance, many children received a small box with pencils and pens with a note: "With love, from Akhilesh uncle".

This city of erstwhile nawabs and the great 1857 mutiny is now witnessing impressive processions by all four candidates who are using their massive resources and mass support to the optimum. Since Muslims constitute a big part of the population, candidates are adopting various innovative ways to woo them.

Whatever the outcome, it's going to be tough election for all the four candidates, all of whom are likely to get stars campaigners, from politics or Bollywood, to improve their chances at the hustings.