Thaindian News

New Delhi, Dec 24 (IANS) Political parties Saturday welcomed the announcement of assembly elections for five states, including the most populous and politically important state of Uttar Pradesh, from Jan 28 to March 3.

The Congress welcomed the poll dates in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, while the BJP demanded changing officials responsible for the polls in the state, calling them agents of the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

Talking about the Congress’ strategy for Uttar Pradesh, Bareilly MP Pravin Aron said development would be the main poll plank and there would be no role for caste considerations while choosing elected representatives.

“People know that the governments of the BSP, SP and BJP have not done much on development front in Uttar Pradesh,” said Aron.

Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Ajit Singh, who joined the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance recently, said people are looking for something new as other parties have been there since last 20 years.

“Continuously for last 20 years, UP (Uttar Pradesh) has been going down. Power generation, employment, education, number of people below poverty line are problem areas. Now UP has a chance and I am sure the alliance of Congress and RLD would do very well,” said Singh.

The Samajwadi Party said it was confident of returning to power in the state again.

“SP is prepared fully and we have declared our candidates. We have struggled the most,” said party chief Akhilesh Yadav, who is former chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav’s son and party MP.

The BJP has demanded changing the police and civil officials responsible for the elections, alleging the present officials were “agents of BSP”.

“Remove some top civil and police officials who have been working as agents of the ruling BSP for last over four years, to ensure fair and free elections,” BJP’s national vice president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said here.

He said it should be done in consultation with other political parties.

The BJP also accused the Congress of trying to woo people through reservation politics.

“Congress is trying to give people the opium of reservation to hijack votes. Now they are remembering Muslim reservation and Jat reservation. They will remember some other reservation,” Naqvi said, referring to the minority quota announced by the UPA government.

On Uttarakhand polls, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Harish Rawat said the Congress party would try to cash in on the anti-incumbency factor in the BJP-ruled state.

Uttarakhand goes to polls on Jan 30, while seven-phased polls will be held in Uttar Pradesh Feb 4-28. Manipur will have polls Jan 28, followed by Punjab and Uttarakhand Jan 30, while in Goa it will be held March 3.