Summary:
Meerut: In the western Uttar Pradesh where Muslims have a sizeable population, both SP and BSP have decided to field a dozen seats each, leaving three seats for RLD in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Two seats were initially allocated to the RLD, but now SP has given one more seat from its quota to Ajit Singh’s party. Most of the communally sensitive districts of Meerut zone, like Saharanpur, Meerut, Bulandshahr, and Gautambuddh Nagar, have gone into BSP’s kitty. The experiment to field a joint candidate against BJP reaped benefits as the stronghold of BJP fell into the hands of opposition with first Muslim MP elected from the state in 16th Lok Sabha. In a way, Kairana victory became a stepping stone for the SP-BSP-RLD alliance as it began to take shape.Three seats – Baghpat, Muzaffarnagar and Mathura – were left for Rashtriya Lok Dal..