Moneypower may hold key in zilla panchayat polls

By Our Special Correspondent

LUCKNOW, AUG. 6. Major political parties of Uttar Pradesh are keeping their fingers crossed over the outcome of the elections of Zilla Panchayat chiefs scheduled for tomorrow in 66 districts as money, muscle and caste factors are playing a decisive role besides a large number of Independents who have got elected as zilla parishad members.

The indirect election of zilla parishad chiefs has provided vast scope to the money factor. The Zilla Parishad chiefs enjoy more clout and the present election has come to attract political attention and significance.

In the past, the Congress ruled the roost in zilla panchayat polls with the last election being held in 1995. Then, Mr. Mulayam Singh Yadav was in office, and the Samajwadi Party was able to grab most of the offices.

Although the BJP was the main political party with largest number of seats in the Assembly it had fared poorly as was the fate of the BSP, which then was a partner in the ruling coalition.

The SP and the BSP had parted over the outcome of the panchayat elections. However, both the BJP and the BSP are poised to register better results, in particular the latter.

The BSP are striving hard to win the largest number of zilla parishads or to finish a close second.

After the withdrawal of nominations, four candidates have been declared elected without a contest. Two of the seats have gone in favour of the Samajwadi Party and one each to the BSP and the BJP-supported LCP.

Political, caste and money factors have gone into ensuring these uncontested outcomes. That the BJP was not able to win a single zilla Panchayat office without a contest, as ruling parties did in the past, has belied apprehensions aired by the rival parties that the party would use the administrative machinery to influence the outcome of the polls.

Since money power would play a big role in tomorrow's election, all political parties have given weightage to the ``winnability''factor, which precisely means allocation of nomination to wealthy candidates, keeping out the ideology, party affiliation and even the caste factor.

Firstly, the zilla parishad members, a large number of them independents, have enormously hiked their ``rates'' and secondly there is every possibility of double-crossing. In the past, the electorates were liberally allowed ``helpers'' who would cast votes on behalf of the zilla parishad members.

In most cases, these so-called ``helpers'' were the cronies of the candidates from whom money had been taken for support. Now, steps have been taken to ensure fairplay.

The uncertainty in the minds of the major political parties is demonstrated by their failure to release the names of their candidates. However, the Samajwadi Party has announced that it would contest 45 districts.

The BJP has fielded candidates in 37 districts. Six seats have been left for its allies. In another 8 seats, names of its official candidates have not been announced. In 14 districts, the BJP would support ``suitable'' candidates.

Similarly, the Samajwadi Party has not yet released the names of its candidates in 15 districts. The BSP is the only party which has fielded candidates in each of the 70 districts, though it has not declared the names. Mr. Kalyan Singh's RKP is contesting in 8 districts. In as many as 6 districts, the RKP has publicly resolved to support candidates of other parties, to scuttle the winning prospects of the BJP.

Incidentally, the BJP is extending support in some districts to candidates of other parties albeit unofficially. And in a few districts,the BJP allies are opposing the candidates of their big brother, creating uncertainty.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Other States
Previous : Violence, curfew in Rajsamand