Lucknow: The coming Assembly elections in
Uttar Pradesh would turn out to be a litmus test for many
scions of political families, including Congress general
secretary Rahul Gandhi and his cousin BJP`s Varun Gandhi.
The "yuvrajs" in the fray include son of SP supremo
Mulayam Singh Yadav and Ajit Singh`s son Jayant Chaudhary.
After his party`s bitter defeat in Bihar elections, UP
polls have become a prestige issue for Rahul.
Similarly, it is no less than a battle for Mulayam`s son
Akhilesh to ensure victory of SP in the elections. In such a
situation there is a strong possibility of high-voltage
contest between two young turks.
Though BJP has not opened its card yet, party sources
said that it would field Varun Gandhi in its poll campaign to
attract youth voters.
Ajit Singh led RLD has though forged an alliance with
Congress, Jayant would have the task of improving party`s
chance in its stronghold western UP.
According to ECI records of more than 12 crore
electorates in UP, around 25 per cent (more than 4 crore) are
young electorates in the age group of 18 to 30 years.
"Of this around 53 lakh voters, who are 18 years of age,
will exercise their franchise for the first time," a senior
officer said.
The major task before all the political parties would
be to tap the youth voters.
To ensure a victory for Congress, which had been out of
power for nearly 22 years, Rahul had been making effort since
long in the state.
Rahul started his election campaign from Bhatta Parsaul
in Gautam Buddha Nagar which witnessed violent clashes between
police and farmers.
Since then he has been touring length and breadth of the
state attacking non-Congress governments in the state for poor
state of affairs and making corruption as a major poll-plank
of the party.
Challenges are not less for SP state president Akhilesh
Yadav, who has literally taken reins of poll campaign of the
party in his hands.
Much ahead of the poll dates were announced Akhilesh had
launched his Kranti Rath Yatra to vow the voters and mobilise
the party cadre.
"The yatra launched in September has completed eight
rounds and Akhilesh will become more active in days to come,"
he said.
The SP state president had been very cautious in
selection of candidates therefore the party had changed its
candidates at a number of places since the first list was
announced.
PTI
