15 candidates in Sultanpur; BJP eyes lotus bloom after 16 yrs

Observers say Congress finds itself on a sticky wicket at Sultanpur seat, adjacent to Nehru-Gandhi family bastions of Raebareli and Amethi, with SP and BSP also having fielded strong local candidates, who are campaigning aggressively.  

Congress' famed grip in nearby areas, however, appears to be on the wane as it had lost in all five assembly segments of Sultanpur in 2012 Assembly elections.  

Eyeing Muslim votes, Samajwadi Party has fielded Shakeel Ahmed, a transporter.

Muslim youths in Rasoolabad, Harakpur, Meenapur, Aliganj and Islamganj seem inclined towards SP, though a divide in Muslim votes primarily between SP and Congress cannot be ruled out.

What also works to Ahmed's advantage, say political pundits, is that BSP has dropped its Muslim candidate, Tahir, a former MP, who was the runner up in the 2009 polls.