UP'S SMALLER PARTIES ADD TO FIREPOWER OF BIGGIES

BJP has accepted that small parties can make or break its dream.

- RAHUL CHHABRA

If the road to Lok Sabha goes through Uttar Pradesh, then the journey from Lucknow to Delhi cannot be completed by any national political party without taking along smaller partners from the state with 80 parliamentary seats. Even for a political force like the Bharatiya Janata Party, winning Uttar Pradesh without any alliance in parliamentary elections is impossible. This is the reason why the NDA line-up in the state with 24 crore population has four small parties complementing the BJP for the big battle beginning next month.

As the BJP aims for a third straight term for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the party has accepted the reality that even small parties can make or break its dream. This, in fact, is reflected in the party’s decision to tie up with Apna Dal (S), Rashtriya Lok Dal, Nishad Party and Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party.