Retaining reserved seats in UP a big challenge for BJP

With the 'grand alliance' comprising Samajwadi Party (SP), BSP and RLD breathing down its neck, retaining the reserved Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh is going to be a big challenge for the BJP.

Riding high on the 'Modi Wave', the BJP had won all the 17 reserved LS seats in UP in 2014 general elections surprising not only the opposition but also the political analysts.

It was believed that the scheduled castes (SCs) had voted for the saffron party in the last LS polls across the state as a result of which it was able to romp home in the reserved LS constituencies in the east, central and western parts of the state.

With the coming together of the SP and BSP, the political equations in the state has undergone a sea change making BJP's efforts to retain these seats ''difficult'', feel political pundits.

The analysts say that the SCs had split during 2014 polls and a large section had voted for the BJP as they did not want the SP candidates to win. ''Dalits, the core vote bank of BSP and the Yadavs, the core vote bank of SP, have a traditional rivalry,'' said an analyst here.

''BJP has been trying hard to keep the two communities away in the forthcoming polls it will brighten their electoral prospects not only on the reserved seats but also elsewhere,'' he remarked.

Realising the traditional rivalry, both BSP supremo Mayawati and SP president Akhilesh Yadav have gone all out to persuade their core supporters to ''shun'' their differences and vote for each other's nominees.

''We have been telling our core supporters not to fall prey to the misleading campaign of the BJP.....BJP is our number one enemy,'' said a senior SP leader here.

SC's, who formed around 21 per cent of the electorate in the state, were decisive not only in the 17 reserved constituencies but also electorally crucial in around two dozen other seats.