New Delhi January 18
With talks over seats adjustment with its allies, including the Rashtriya Janata Dal in the biggest state progressing smoothly, the BJP is confident of emerging as the single largest party in the forthcoming Assembly elections next month.

While we are certain of simple majority in the 403 strong UP Assembly, the BJP is sure that electoral adjustment talks with the Rashtriya Lok Dal of Agriculture Minister Ajit Singh and other allies would finally conclude on a positive note. A senior BJP leader told The Tribune and said that though the RLD was insisting on 43 Assembly seats at present but they would finally agree on 34 to 36 seats.

The BJP has left 75 seats for its allies and each of our friend has to be accommodated within it, the leader said adding that the next big ally was going to be held by the Janata Dal (U) which may get between nine to 12 seats.

The Shakti Dal of Minister of state for Programme Implementation and Animal Care Maneka Gandhi would also get three seats and the Samata Party of Defence Minister George Fernandes would similarly end up with about five seats.

Though the Lok Jana Shakti party of Union Coal Minister Ramvilas Paswan’s demands at the moment are too high, we are hopeful that he would also settle down between seven to nine, he said.

Rest of the remaining seats would go to our old allies in the state with whose support we ran the government for five years, another BJP leader said. Parties like the Lok Tantrik Congress Party, Mazdoor Kisan Bahujan Party and few others would end up with 6 to 7 seats each, he said.

While deciding party candidates, the BJP has taken extra care this time to counter potential threats from main political rivals like the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Samajwadi Party. Even the trouble maker like former Chief Minister Kalyan Singh, who has a potential to damage the party chances in areas dominated by Lodh Rajputs, has been tackled as the BJP has fielded as many as 12 Lodh Rajputs, he pointed out.

The USP of Ms Mayawati and Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav would be considerably damaged as the BJP has fielded 50 most Dalit candidates and 75 from most backwards castes. The party’s preparation for the last eight months has paid off well, a leader pointed out adding that the BJP leaders went to every village and collected information over party candidates.