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32 little-known parties look to shine in Gujarat

But if you thought the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will be the only third party which may upset the two parties’ applecart in the April 30 Lok Sabha elections, then you are wide of the mark.

Apart from the Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party, Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal-United, Mulayam Singh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party and Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party, several little-known or new-born political outfits have entered the poll arena and the new kids on the block may spring surprises for many contestants.

The 334 candidates, barring independents, in the final list are from as many as 32 parties and the newbies in the ballot-box battle include strange names like Apna Desh Party (Vadoara-Mehboobkhan Pathan) and Hindusthan Nirman Dal (Bardoli-Raniya Chaudhari).

Some other new names in the fray this year are Bahujan Mukti Party, Republican Party of India Ektawadi, Bharatiya National Janata Dal, Vishwa Hindustani Sangathan, Hindustan Janata Party, Rashtra Vikas Jhumbesh Party, National Youth Party, Loktantrik Rashtrawadi Party, Akhil Bharatiya Congress Dal (Ambedkar), Bahujan Suraksha Dal, Prajatantra Adhar Party, Rashtriya Kaumi Ekta Party, Yuva Sarkar, Aadivasi Sena Party, Bharatiya Bahujan Congress and even Voters Party.

mahesh@khaleejtimes.com

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