Lucknow: It will be a test of political supremacy between the ruling BSP and the Samajwadi Party in Saturday’s by-election to the prestigious Ballia Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh where former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar’s son Neeraj Shekhar is trying to cash in on the legacy of his father.

The BSP, which had routed Mulayam Singh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party in the last Assembly elections in May, has left no stone unturned to ensure the victory of its nominee Vinay Shankar Tiwari against SP nominee Neeraj as it expects the by-poll to set the trend for the next Lok Sabha polls.

The BSP is banking on its social engineering formula and has fielded a Brahmin candidate, who is the son of don-turned politician and former Minister Harishankar Tiwari.

The SP is trying to cash in on the charisma of former Prime Minister, who had held the seat seven times since 1977 with a break in 1984, by fielding his son from the seat.

Former Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav considers this by-election as a chance for his party to regain the lost ground and boost the morale of the party. PTI

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