Mainpuri: The SP-BSP alliance started the ground preparations for elections with the parties holding a joint meet of their party workers in Mainpuri, the pocketborough of Yadav clan, from where SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav will be seeking a victory.The ‘Sanyukt karyakarta sammelan’ on Saturday was presided over by SP’s district Lok Sabha in charge and Mainpuri MP Tej Pratap Singh Yadav and BSP’s west UP in charge Shamsuddin Raeen.The agenda of the meet was to strengthen bonhomie between SP and BSP workers in Mainpuri Lok Sabha constituency, comprising four assembly seats, Kishni, Bhongaon, Karhal and Mainpuri.Tej Pratap told TOI that the alliance will hold nearly 124 joint rallies across the four assembly segments of the district after Holi.“In order to encourage party workers to coordinate, we will use a common flags, posters and banners having colours and pictures of senior leaders of both parties at the joint meetings,” Tej Pratap told TOI on Sunday.“This is just the beginning of bonhomie between the two parties. Caps and flags of both parties are already being used at meetings,” he added.When asked from where will he contest, Tej Pratap said, “Announcement in this regard will be made in a day or two. Right now I have been asked by party president Akhilesh Yadav to ensure that our party patriarch wins Mainpuri seat with a huge marging breaking all previous records.“We have divided the Mainpuri Lok Sabha constituency into into 57 zones. Mainpuri assembly segment has been divided into 14 zones, Bhongaon and Kishni in 13 each and Karhal in 17 zones to fine-tune preparations of joint public meetings and booth level management. In every zone, there is a zonal in charge with nine deputies and five party workers for better coordination. We have asked our workers to work with BSP workers at booth level and ensure a historic win in elections,” he said.“SP and BSP will break all previous records in Lok Sabha elections and will play a major role in the formation of next government at Centre,” Tej added.Of the total 17.3 lakh electorate in Mainpuri Lok Sabha constituency,, 35% are Yadavs. The second dominant caste in Mainpuri is Thakurs who are 29% comprising Rajput, Chauhan, Rathore and Bhadouriya.The other dominant castes are Shakyas, Brahmins, SCs and Muslims.In 2014, Mulayam had contested Lok Sabha elections from two constituencies — Mainpuri and Azamgarh, and had won both. He later resigned from Mainpuri seat.Tej Pratap had started his political career as Saifai block pramukh. He was elected as MP in the bypoll after Mulayam vacated Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat in favour of Azamgarh. Tej is married to Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav’s youngest daughter Raj Laxmi.

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