<p class="title">Nurturing dreams to check the BJP juggernaut in Uttar Pradesh, the Samajwadi Party (SP)-BSP-RLD grand alliance leaders find themselves in quandary while campaigning in Ghosi Lok Sabha constituency in the eastern region of the state.</p>.<p class="bodytext">While the alliance leaders have been criss-crossing the constituency urging the electorate to vote for their candidate, their nominee has been missing.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The alliance nominee Atul Rai against whom a local court issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW) after a complaint of rape was lodged against him, has been absconding for the past over a week.</p>.<p class="bodytext">A student of a college in Varanasi has alleged that Rai had raped her at his flat in the temple town. Three police teams have been formed to trace the alliance candidate.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Rai went missing after the Allahabad High court and later supreme court rejected his anticipatory bail applications.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Rai has refuted the charges and claimed that the victim tried to ''blackmail'' him. Rai's brother Pawan Rai has also defended him.</p>.<p class="bodytext">While BSP supremo Mayawati has termed the allegations as a ''conspiracy'' hatched by the BJP, the saffron party has gone all out to attack the alliance on the issue.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Prime minister Narendra Modi also raked up the issue at his election rally at Mau on Thursday and asked the electorate not to support a ''rape accused'' candidate.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Though the caste equations favour the alliance in the constituency, the allegation of rape and the absence of Rai may hit its electoral prospects.</p>.<p class="bodytext">In 2014 LS polls, BJP had secured 3.80 lakh while its nearest rival BSP had got 2.33 lakh. The SP nominee had then secured 1.65 lakh. </p>.<p class="bodytext">It remains to be seen if the missing alliance nominee gets the support of the electorate. Polling at Ghosi would be held on Sunday.</p>
<p class="title">Nurturing dreams to check the BJP juggernaut in Uttar Pradesh, the Samajwadi Party (SP)-BSP-RLD grand alliance leaders find themselves in quandary while campaigning in Ghosi Lok Sabha constituency in the eastern region of the state.</p>.<p class="bodytext">While the alliance leaders have been criss-crossing the constituency urging the electorate to vote for their candidate, their nominee has been missing.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The alliance nominee Atul Rai against whom a local court issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW) after a complaint of rape was lodged against him, has been absconding for the past over a week.</p>.<p class="bodytext">A student of a college in Varanasi has alleged that Rai had raped her at his flat in the temple town. Three police teams have been formed to trace the alliance candidate.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Rai went missing after the Allahabad High court and later supreme court rejected his anticipatory bail applications.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Rai has refuted the charges and claimed that the victim tried to ''blackmail'' him. Rai's brother Pawan Rai has also defended him.</p>.<p class="bodytext">While BSP supremo Mayawati has termed the allegations as a ''conspiracy'' hatched by the BJP, the saffron party has gone all out to attack the alliance on the issue.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Prime minister Narendra Modi also raked up the issue at his election rally at Mau on Thursday and asked the electorate not to support a ''rape accused'' candidate.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Though the caste equations favour the alliance in the constituency, the allegation of rape and the absence of Rai may hit its electoral prospects.</p>.<p class="bodytext">In 2014 LS polls, BJP had secured 3.80 lakh while its nearest rival BSP had got 2.33 lakh. The SP nominee had then secured 1.65 lakh. </p>.<p class="bodytext">It remains to be seen if the missing alliance nominee gets the support of the electorate. Polling at Ghosi would be held on Sunday.</p>
