RLD nominee faces outsider tag in Muzzafarnagar

An alliance with the BJP might have helped her grab the saffron party's traditional vote bases, but RLD nominee Anuradha Chaudhary is struggling to counter the "outsider" tag, and lack of major development work by her is adding to the worry.      

Anuradha is now banking on the BJP vote bank, consisting of the Thakurs and her party's (RLD’s) traditional support base of Jats. But she faces challenges from Harinder Malik of the Congress and BSP's Qadir Rana as they are trying to cash in on Anuradha's outsider tag. Both these rivals are locals.     

Anuradha is the sitting MP from the Kairana seat but following her party's alliance with the BJP, she had to quit the constituency as it went to the saffron party's kitty.    

Opponents also allege that the RLD candidate spent most of the time in Delhi during her last tenure and did little for Kairana.     

On his part, Congress candidate Malik is relying on traditional vote bases of the party, comprising the Brahmins and the Muslims.     

Being a Muslim, BSP's Rana expects the community to vote for him and also hopes that the party's bases among the Gujjars will help him win the battle on May 7.