Even as the SP-BSP-RLD alliance will formally launch its poll campaign from Deoband on April 7, the leaders of these parties have stepped up efforts to tighten the loose ends at the grass-root level. The BSP, SP and RLD brass are going down to the brass tacks to ensure that every vote is transferred to one of the alliance partners as their chances of winning depend on this arithmetic.

The grand alliance is focusing on the first phase on April 11, when eight Lok Sabha seats of east UP will go to polls. “In the first round, we have completed Lok Sabha-wise meetings of party workers from all three parties. For the second phase, we have started Assembly segment-wise meetings of party workers,”  said Sudhir Pawar who contested the 2017 Assembly elections from Shamli.

The SP has deputed its senior leaders as incharges of Assembly segments and they are already meeting voters on the ground to ensure better coordination with alliance partners. Currently, the alliance is working on the slogan ‘Ek bhi vote na batne denge, ek bhi vote na ghatne denge’, coined by SP chief Akhilesh Yadav.

The idea is to increase awareness among party cadres and voters, the importance of casting their votes for the alliance and defeat the BJP. Since the RLD has a lot at stake in west UP, party leader Jayant Chaudhary is leaving no stone unturned to make the alliance work. “Jayant is holding a dozen small meetings everyday where workers from all three parties SP, BSP and RLD are joining to make it a success,” said an RLD leader.

On April 7, the first joint rally of top leaders of the alliance will be held in Deoband (Saharanpur) in west UP, which will be followed by a rally in Badaun on April 13 and in Agra on April 16. As per the schedule released by the SP and BSP, Mayawati and Akhilesh will address 11 rallies together across the state.