BSP's Bihar candidates' list includes caste names!

Bahujan Samaj Party on Saturday released its list of 125 candidates with caste names for the upcoming Bihar assembly polls.

BSP leader Azad Gandhi, who released the list of candidates with caste names, said that use of caste names was indicator of social equation in the state.

"The list specifies the castes of the candidates for the assembly polls," he said.

A political watcher Aneesh Ankur told rediff.com in Patna that it is the first such candidates list which includes caste names. "It is unfortunate that for the first time any political party has come out with list of candidates with caste names for assembly polls," Ankur noted.

However, office of the electoral officer in Patna said that the use of caste names in the list of candidates for assembly polls is a violation of the model code of conduct.  "The office will consider to lodge a case," an official said.

The Mayawati-led party, which is in power in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, said that it would contest the Bihar assembly polls from all the 243 seats without any alliance.