FAIZABAD/SULTANPUR/ALLAHABAD: At a chai shop near Faizabad junction, discussions on the elections veer towards the Muslim vote. Barring cab driver Azam, nobody wants to hazard a guess on whether it's getting divided between the SP-Congress alliance and the BSP. BJP wants this division of votes. Par Musalman samajhta hai ki bade fayde ke liye chota nuksaan uthana padta hai (Muslims think one must be ready to suffer small losses for bigger gains)," he says.He cites the example of Phulpur, the Allahabad seat where his relatives and, as he claims, 75% Muslims, have voted for SP's Mansoor Alam, ignoring BSP's Masroor Sheikh, although he is popular."Masroor is rich, has worked in the area for three years and should have won easily. But people realised that only the SP, backed by the Congress , can stop the BJP and so decided to go with Akhilesh's party," he explains. For Azam, a temporary or small loss would be popular Masroor's defeat and the big gain, which he expects, BJP failing to pull off a victory.In Sultanpur, where BSP is seen as much stronger than the SP, many Muslims seem caught between the two parties. "Things will be clearer at the last moment, as of now, the fight in most Sultanpur seats is between the BJP and the BSP," says Akeel Ahmed, a motor mechanic.

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