The Hindu : Samata-JD(U) to contest about 100 seats

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Nov 07, 2003

National

National

Samata-JD(U) to contest about 100 seats

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI Nov. 6. The Samata-Janata Dal (United) will contest around 100 seats in the five States going to polls this month and the next.

The merged party will altogether field nearly 70 candidates in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and Chhattisgarh. In Mizoram it will contest 29 Assembly seats.

The chairman of the parliamentary board and Minister for Food and Consumer Affairs, Sharad Yadav, today released the list of 10 candidates for Madhya Pradesh, nine for Rajasthan and 29 for Mizoram. He said the party would contest 30 seats in Madhya Pradesh, 20 in Rajasthan and between 10 and 15 each in Rajasthan and Delhi.

The party, a constituent of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre, said there were no seat-sharing talks with the Bharatiya Janata Party. Mr. Yadav said the JD(U) had a long history and an all-India presence. On its own it had polled the third highest votes in Gujarat last year. Even now the party was contesting in seats where it had a strong base and good winning prospects. ``But for Delhi and Chhattisgarh, we are in a good position everywhere,'' he added.

While declining to comment on the erstwhile JD(U) party rebel, Devendra Prasad Yadav's criticism that the merger was done without consulting party members, he said the merger reflected the will of party workers.

Earlier speaking to The Hindu, Capt. Jaipal Singh said he and his colleagues decided to leave the NCP as there was no `inner party democracy'. He said there was absolute lack of development in Madhya Pradesh and they preferred to join the JD (U) as Mr. Yadav was trying to improve the situation.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National