BSP, ASP to each go solo in Uttar Pradesh Assembly By-Polls

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and ASP chief Chandra Shekhar Azad declared that the parties would each contest the upcoming Assembly by-polls in Uttar Pradesh in 10 seats. Both the parties have decided to go solo in the by-polls and aimed to consolidate the nearly 21 per cent Dalit vote, 12 per cent of this being Jatav, which is Mayawati's caste. By winning seats in the assembly by-polls, the BSP aspires to make a comeback in state politics. Buoyed by victory, ASP in turn plans to expand its base among the Dalit voters across UP. With Chandra Shekar Azad leading the ASP campaign, Mayawati's firebrand nephew Akash Anand will lead the BSP campaign and the fight for Dalit votes. Both the Dalit-based parties – BSP and ASP – would become a vote attractor in UP. But the question is whether BSP or ASP would be able to cut votes of either NDA or INDIA bloc?