Karnataka - Bidar   

BSP banking on Muslim vote

BIDAR: The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is banking on its nominee Raheem Khan in Bidar Assembly seat to regain its lost seat. The BSP won the seat last in the 1994 election, when its candidate Syed Zulfikar Hashmi stood from Bidar.

Mr. Khan is originally a Congressman and held the post of district unit general secretary but quit the party when denied the party ticket to contest the election from Bidar seat.

Mr. Khan was given the ticket by the BSP at the last minute on the last day of filing of nominations. In Bidar, the minorities hold the key for the success of the candidate.

From the constituency Maqsud Ali Khan, Moshin Kamal, Mohammed Laiquddin, all Congressmen, and Syed Zulfikar Hashmi have won the seat from the minority community.

For Mr. Khan, the demolition drive in the city has come as a “blessing” to build his image among the people. The widening of the roads occurred in the Old City of Bidar where the minorities are concentrated. Mr. Khan has reportedly spent generously from his personal sources for the persons affected by the demolition. According to sources close to him, this is likely to win him some support.

Mr. Khan will take on the former Minister and Congress nominee Gurupadappa Nagamarapalli.

In the 2004 election in Bidar constituency, independents have polled more votes than the official nominees. In that election, the former Minister Bandeppa Kashempur and Mr. Hashmi had both sought the Congress ticket and when denied ticket they contested the elections as independents.

Mr. Kashempur won the elections polling 67,015 votes while Mr. Hashmi secured about 39,000 votes, second highest in the fray.

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BSP banking on Muslim vote

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