Contrary to earlier expectations that Samajwadi Party would not get minority support due to mishandling of Muzaffarnagar riots, SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and his chief minister son Akhilesh Yadav are now beaming with confidence.

Significantly enough, Samajwadi Party apparently got Muslim votes in Muzaffarnagar, which was affected by communal riots.

Samajwadi party spokesman Rajendra Choudhry said that his party would emerge as single largest in UP and there was tussle in BJP and BSP for the second position. He further said that BSP was once again facing rejection from voters, like what happened in UP Assembly polls in 2012.

Rajendra Choudhry said that there was direct fight between communal and secular forces in the states. Although BSP tried to win over support from voters, it was rejected.

SP spokesman further said that voters were aware of the fact that BSP had an understanding with BJP as they always tend to help each other in such cases. Previously, Mayawati had formed the government with the help of BJP in UP.

Rajendra Choudhry said that the development work during Akhilesh Yadav government countered the propaganda of Gujarat model of development.

However, BJP state president Luxmikant Vajpai is also optimistic that increase in voting percentage was the result of positive Modi wave in the state and party would get 50 seats from 80-seat UP.

Vajpai said that there was tremendous craze for BJP PM candidate Narendra Modi in the state, which was reflected in the huge turnout during last four phases.

Similarly, BSP supremo is also confident that her party too will get good number of seats and she too would play an important role in government formation after the polls.

It must be noted that Mayawati has been maintaining that there was no Modi wave in the country and blamed electronic media for hype on Modi. She has been making appeal to minority voters to pick her party in order to emerge as single largest in the state. Even political pundits maintain that the combination of Daltis and Muslim can ensure good number of seats for Mayawati in the state.

But fact remains that BSP has yet not become first choice of Muslims who still prefer Samajwadi Party and Congress. Although BSP has played aggressive Brahmin card by giving 21 tickets to this community and expect that the powerful Brahmin candidates would be able get community votes in BSP’s kitty, it as to be seen if the trick plays off. With the help of the heady cocktail of Brahmins, Dalits as well as Muslims, BSP is expecting more seats could be won.

Why should Congress stay out of the claim wagon? The party also maintains that it would get half of the total number of seats that went to polls so far in the state.

As per the ground reports, Congress candidates are doing well in many constituencies roping in minority votes.

Congress spokesman Dwijendra Tripathi said that in last Lok Sabha polls, party had won 22 seats in 2009. This time, it hopes it would do still better. He further said that party was getting benefit from the achievements of UP government and popularities of Sonia and Rahul Gandhi.

Tripathi said that the manner in which people voted in large numbers also reflected that Congress would get good number of seats. (IPA Service)