BHOPAL, 11 November 2003 — The ruling Congress and rightist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), will directly contest one-to-one in the ensuing Dec. 1 Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections. All efforts for a joint third force making its presence felt in the state have failed and the smaller political parties are expected to join hands with winning parties for their smaller piece of pie.
First it was the split in Nationalist Congress Party with its former state president Capt. Jaipal Singh parting ways with the outfit to join hands with the Samajwadi Party (SP). Then came the split in the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) with its former president Phool Singh Baraiya floating a new outfit after differences with Mayawati over an alliance with the Congress.
While the fragmented BSP is now all set to go with the Congress — covertly or overtly, reports about the SP having developed a soft corner for the BJP are pouring in. The final picture will, however, emerge only after the distribution of tickets.
