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BSP, independents threaten NDA, Grand Alliance

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Independents may play spoilsport for BJP-led National Democratic Alliance and RJD-led alliance in Bihar…reports Asian Lite News

During the first and second phase of the Lok Sabha elections in Bihar, Independent candidates in Nawada and Purnea hurt the vote banks of NDA and RJD-led Mahagathbandhan and now candidates of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) may affect these two pivotal political forces in some of the constituencies in the state.

The Mahagathbandhan or Grand Alliance consists of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Indian National Congress (INC) and Left parties.

Gulab Yadav, the former RJD MLA is contesting on a BSP ticket in the Jhanjharpur Lok Sabha constituency. Sources have said that Gulab Yadav was expecting the ticket of Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) to contest the election. As the party has given the ticket to Suman Mahaseth, Yadav joined the BSP and is in the fray from the Jhanjharpur Lok Sabha constituency.

Gulab Yadav is considered a strong leader of Mithilanchal and has a connect with Yadav voters. Yadav was the RJD candidate in the 2019 Lok Sabha election but he was defeated by JD-U candidate Rampreet Mandal. After that election, Yadav’s relationship with RJD turned sour. He worked hard in Jhanjharpur and Madhubani Lok Sabha constituencies and hoped for a ticket from RJD or VIP till the last moment. As the RJD gave the ticket to Ali Ashraf Fatmi to contest Madhubani and VIP gave the ticket to Suman Mahaseth, he joined BSP.

Gulab Yadav’s daughter Bindu Gulab Yadav is a district council president of Madhubani while his wife Ambika Gulab Yadav won the MLC election as an Independent candidate from Madhubani. His presence in Jhanjharpur may hurt the grand alliance candidate as the Yadavs are the core voters of RJD.

Jahanabad is another seat where two-time MP Prof Arun Kumar is contesting on BSP ticket. Kumar was expecting the ticket from Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) but as the seat went into the quota of JD-U, he resigned from LJP(R) and joined BSP.

Prof Arun Kumar has a stronghold in the Bhumihar caste in the Jahanabad region. As people of the Bhumihar caste are considered core voters of the BJP, his presence as a BSP candidate may hurt the JD-U candidate Chandeshwar Prasad Chandravansi. During the 2019 Lok Sabha election, he got 35000 votes as an Independent candidate.

BSP has some influence in the constituencies connected with the Uttar Pradesh border and it was proved in the 2020 assembly election when Jama Khan won the Chainpur seat on the BSP ticket. Chainpur assembly constituency comes under the Sasaram Lok Sabha constituency. BSP has given the ticket to Santosh Kumar to contest the election from the Sasaram Lok Sabha seat. During the 2019 Lok Sabha election, BSP gave the ticket to Manoj Kumar and he got 86406 votes. In 2014, Baleshwar Bharti of the BSP got around 32000 votes.

Now, Manoj Kumar is contesting on the Congress ticket and BJP has fielded Shivesh Ram in this Lok Sabha election. The contest is turning out interesting as Santosh Kumar is also in the fray on the BSP ticket and may hurt the grand alliance.

“BSP has some vote banks, especially in the constituencies connected with Uttar Pradesh. Sasaram, Karakat, Buxar, Gopalganj and Valmikinagar are some of the constituencies where BSP has some supporters and they may hurt the equations of NDA or grand alliance,” said SP Sharma, a professor of political science at Veer Kunwar Singh University, Bhojpur.

“As far as Gulab Yadav or Arun Kumar are concerned, they have their vote banks in Jhanjharpur and Jahanabad respectively. Arun Kumar was a two-time MP from Jahanabad and is considered as a veteran politician in the region. Both NDA and grand alliance tried hard for the one-to-one contest but it is not practically possible in every seat,” he said.

In Nawada where the election was held in the first phase, Chandan Singh, the current MP contested as an Independent candidate. In 2019, he had won from Nawada on the LJP ticket and joined the RLJP later on. As the seat went into the quota of the BJP, he contested the election as an Independent candidate this time. Chandan Singh is the brother of Bahubali leader Surajbhan Singh and belongs to an upper-caste family.

Pappu Yadav is another Independent candidate who became a challenger for RJD candidate Bima Bharti in Purnea. The election was held in Purnea in the second phase on April 26.

Akhtarul Iman of AIMIM contested the Lok Sabha election from Kishanganj and challenged Congress candidate Mohammad Jawed and JD-U candidate Mozahid Alam.

ALSO READ-‘BSP does not align with policies of NDA or INDIA’

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‘BSP does not align with policies of NDA or INDIA’

On being asked whether the SP is BSP’s main opponent, he refuted it, saying that Akhilesh Yadav’s party do not have sway across UP, but is restricted to certain regions of the state…reports Asian Lite News

As the Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party, once an elephantine force in Uttar Pradesh politics is experiencing a decline in its influence, party national convenor Akash Anand said that the BSP does not align with the “policies” of both alliances -NDA and INDIA, hence decided to go solo in the Lok Sabha polls despite its seat number reducing elections after elections.

Akash Anand, BSP supremo Mayawati’s nephew and her political successor, in an exclusive interview with ANI, said that the record of the party being in alliance indicates its core support base shifting its allegiance to other parties, but the BSP, he added, is currently keeping its vote share intact while being out of any coalition.

“If you see the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections, our vote share continued to remain at 19 per cent, but the number of seats is a big concern for the party. When we were standing alone back in 2014, we managed to get 19 per cent vote share, but our seat count was zero. We went in alliance, our vote share remained the same, but we were able to garner 10 seats. We feel that we do not actually make a lot of headway in terms of increasing our vote share while being in alliance,” Akash said.

He also said that as per the party’s analysis, its core vote share which is mostly the Dalit community shifted to the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress when Mayawati joined hands with once considered its main opponent- Samajwadi Party.

“We also witnessed that core voters of the Bahujan Samaj Party were not convinced to coalition with Samajwadi Party so, we saw some of the vote share moved from us to BJP and Congress. We feel that if we remain in non-alliance then we can at least keep our vote share intact and can increase it. In the future, when time allows we can do social engineering and in the right circumstances and political environment, we will be able to guard more seats,” he added.

As the BSP has chosen to go alone for the Lok Sabha elections despite alliances being firmed up, Akash said that the leading parties of both factions- BJP and the Congress failed to represent the Dalit community for whose rights the party advocates.

“We do not align with their policies and looking at their track record, we do not think that these people will be able to deliver. We do not want to be in a coalition where we are not aligned with our partners’ thought process and their execution style. We tried it with SP and during the campaigning only, we realized that they were not the right partner for us. There were a lot of commitments made, but they could not do anything on the execution level. So, we parted ways with the SP,” he said.

He also took a swipe at the BJP and said that the ruling party does not address the issues emerging at fore forefront like- inflation, employment, security and safety which includes country’s borders too.

“Be it NDA or INDIA bloc, leading parties of both factions- BJP and Congress have been in power with the majority at the Centre and in the state also, but both failed to represent our community. With the BJP, there is even more challenge because of rising unemployment, inflation, safety and security and border issues. And these issues are not being addressed,” the BSP leader said.

On being asked whether the SP is BSP’s main opponent, he refuted it, saying that Akhilesh Yadav’s party do not have sway across UP, but is restricted to certain regions of the state.

“If you come towards Western UP, then they have very little activity on the ground and they have also very little vote share. I would constrain them to one part of UP rather than the whole UP and our competition is not with the SP, but we actually try to keep our voters intact anyhow,” he added.

Notably, the BSP hasn’t done great when it went solo, barring the 2007 assembly polls. In the Uttar Pradesh (UP) assembly elections in 2007, winning 206 seats and becoming the sole majority party. Mayawati was sworn in as Chief Minister for the fourth time without any support of a second party, marking the peak of the party’s electoral success.

However, its performance in polls — both Lok Sabha and assembly — since 1996 reflects the downfall of the party.

In the 1996 Lok Sabha elections, which it fought alone, the party could manage just six seats out of 85 in undivided UP. Similarly, BSP’s attempt to enter other states like Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Karnataka on its own has proved futile.

It first allied with the Samajwadi Party (SP) in 1993, when the two parties formed a coalition government in Uttar Pradesh. Samajwadi Party’s Mulayam Singh Yadav became Chief Minister.

In 2009, BSP registered its best performance in Lok Sabha polls winning 20 seats, closely trailing behind the SP with 23 seats and the INC with 21. In the 2012 state elections, the party could only manage to win 80 seats. SP’s Akhilesh Yadav took over as CM.

In 2014, the party faced a major setback, failing to secure even a single seat in the Lok Sabha polls. BSP’s seat tally went from 80 to 19 in the 2017 state elections. In 2019, the BSP-SP alliance managed to secure 15 seats, with the BSP winning 10 in the 2019 general elections. The BSP only managed to secure one seat in the 2022 state polls. (ANI)

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BSP returns to its roots with new motto

This shift underscores the party’s renewed focus on its core constituency, marking a departure from its previous inclusive stance…reports Asian Lite News

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has recently signaled a strategic reorientation by altering its motto from ‘sarvjan hitai, sarvjan sukhai’ to ‘bahujan hitai, bahujan sukhai’ ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, indicating a return to its foundational principles. This shift underscores the party’s renewed focus on its core constituency, marking a departure from its previous inclusive stance.

Initially propelled to power in Uttar Pradesh through Mayawati’s ‘social engineering’ approach, which amalgamated upper castes with Dalits in the 2007 assembly elections, the BSP now appears intent on reclaiming its traditional base. The revised slogan, ‘bahujan hitai, bahujan sukhai,’ encapsulates the interests of the ‘bahujans,’ encompassing scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, other backward classes (OBCs), and religious minorities.

The BSP’s adoption of the new motto was evident in its press note announcing Mayawati’s election meetings in Nagpur, Maharashtra. Formerly, the party’s posters prominently featured the motto ‘sarvjan hitai, sarvajan sukhai.’ This shift underscores a strategic recalibration aimed at realigning the party with its core values and constituency.

The party’s press release emphasized its commitment to contesting the general elections independently, without any external alliances, to champion the welfare of the ‘bahujans.’ This decision reflects a strategic imperative to assert the BSP’s autonomy and consolidate its electoral base without relying on external support.

Following its peak performance in the 2007 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, where it secured an absolute majority with 206 seats, the BSP has witnessed a steady decline in its electoral fortunes. Subsequent electoral setbacks, notably in the 2012 and 2017 assembly polls, underscored the need for the party to reconnect with its core support base to remain politically relevant.

Critically, there is a growing acknowledgment within the party of the need to address grievances among its traditional supporters, particularly Dalits, who have felt marginalized amid perceived shifts in the party’s priorities and leadership. The BSP’s historical stance against ‘brahminvaad and manuvaad’ underscores its commitment to championing the interests of marginalized communities.

Central to the BSP’s electoral strategy is the preservation of its core vote bank, which has historically remained loyal to the party. This core constituency serves as the bedrock of the BSP’s electoral support, facilitating alliances with other caste groups. Therefore, maintaining the cohesion of this support base is essential to the party’s electoral prospects.

By prioritizing the interests of the ‘bahujan samaj’ and emphasizing its commitment to social justice, the BSP aims to reassert its relevance and appeal among marginalized communities. This strategic realignment underscores the party’s determination to reclaim lost ground and advance the interests of the deprived sections of society.

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BSP Releases Second List of 9 Candidates

The second list of the party featured nine candidates….reports Asian Lite News

Hours after releasing its first list of 16 candidates from Uttar Pradesh for the Lok Sabha elections, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) on Sunday released its second list.

The second list of the party featured nine candidates.

Mayawati-led BSP has fielded Hembabu Dhangar from Hathras, Kamal Kant Upmanyu from Mathura, Pooja Amrohi from Agra, and Ram Niwas Sharma from Fatehpur Sikri.

Satendra Jain Sauli has been fielded from Firozabad, Sarika Singh Baghel from Etawah, Kuldeep Badauria from Kanpur, Rajesh Kumar Dwivedi from Akbarpur and Surendra Chandra Gautam from Jalaun.

Unlike the 2019 elections, when it was in alliance with the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), the party is contesting the elections alone this time.

In its first list, the BSP has nominated Mazid Ali from Saharanpur, Shreepal Singh from Kairana, Dara Singh Prajapati from Muzaffarnagar, Vijendra Singh from Bijnor, Surendra Pal Singh from Nagina, Mohammad Irfan Saifi from Moradabad, Zeeshan Khan from Rampur, Shaukat Ali from Sambhal, Mujahid Hussain from Amroha, Devratt Tyagi from Meerut, Praveen Bansal from Baghpat, Rajendra Singh Solanki from Gautam Buddha Nagar, Girish Chandra Jatav from Bulandshahr, Abid Ali from Aonla, Aneesh Ahmed Khan alia Phool Babu from Pilibhit, and Dodram Verma from Shahjahanpur.

The BSP contested nine of these seats in 2019, winning four – Saharanpur, Bijnor, Nagina and Amroha. The SP fielded candidates in the other five last time, winning three, while the RLD lost both the seats it contested. Here are the takeaways from the list:

Lok Sabha polls will be held in seven phases beginning April 19.

Uttar Pradesh, which sends the maximum number of MPs, 80, to Parliament, will vote in all seven phases.

Voting for phases one and two will be held on April 19 and April 26. Next, the state will once again poll in phases three and four on May 7 and May 13.

The Uttar Pradesh electorate will also vote in phases five, six and seven on May 20, May 23 and June 1 respectively.

The votes will be counted on June 4. (ANI)

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BSP to Go Solo in Lok Sabha Polls

The BSP chief said that her party may consider about alliance once the elections are over…reports Asian Lite News

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati on Monday reiterated her party’s stand for the 2024 Lok Sabha election and said that her party will contest the polls alone.

Addressing a press conference in Lucknow, the BSP chief said that her party may consider about alliance once the elections are over.

“Our experience with alliances has never been beneficial for us and we suffer more losses from alliances. For this reason, most of the parties in the country want to form an alliance with BSP. An alliance can be considered after the elections. If possible, BSP can extend its support after the elections…our party will fight the elections all alone,” she said.

The former UP chief minister also hit out at the Centre and state government- both ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and said that the ruling party trying to make people its ‘slaves’ by providing them with some free ration instead of uplifting them from poverty.

“Instead of uplifting people from poverty and providing them employment, the central and state (UP) governments are providing them with some free ration and trying to make them their salves. However, our government in UP had provided people employment to empower them,” Mayawati said.

She also refuted the claims that she may take a retirement from politics, saying that she will continue to work to strengthen her party.

“Last month, I declared Akash Anand as my political successor following which it was being speculated in media that I may soon retire from politics. However, I want to clarify that it’s not the case, and I will continue to work towards strengthening the party,” she said.

The BSP chief exhorted party leaders and workers to “work with full strength to help the BSP get a favourable verdict” in the 2024 election.

The BSP, a Scheduled Castes-centric party, was a major political force in Uttar Pradesh in the 1990s and 2000s but witnessed a gradual decline over the past decade.

In the 2022 assembly elections, the party polled only 12.8 per cent votes, its lowest in almost three decades.

Meanwhile, after Mayawati’s announcement, Congress leader Pramod Tiwari said on Monday that the BSP chief should have taken the current political scenario into account in order to defeat BJP.

“BSP chief Mayawati has refused to join the INDIA alliance before the elections. She said that she would have a post-poll alliance but today’s political scenario is such that all opposition parties should have come together to fight against BJP,” said Pramod Tiwari.

“BJP got just 37.8 percent of votes in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. If the remaining 62.2 percent vote would have united, then we could have limited BJP to 100 seats. It was needed that all of us should have contested elections together. However, when we form government after the elections, she (Mayawati) will be welcomed into the alliance, depending on the conditions at that time,” he added. (ANI)

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BSP announces support to Dhankhar  

The election for the Vice President’s post will be held on August 6. This comes just as the tenure of Vice President Venkaiah Naidu comes to an end on August 10, 2022…reports Asian Lite News

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Tuesday announced her party’s support for NDA’s Vice-Presidential candidate Jagdeep Dhankhar.

“It is well known that due to the lack of consensus between the government and the opposition in the election for the post of the the president, the country’s highest post, the election for it was finally held. Now, due to the same situation, the election for the post of Vice-President is also going to be held on 6th August,” Mayawati tweeted in Hindi.

“In view of the larger public interest and its own movement, the BSP has decided to extend its support to Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar in the election for the post of Vice President, which I am also formally announcing today,” she added in another tweet.

The election for the Vice President’s post will be held on August 6. This comes just as the tenure of Vice President Venkaiah Naidu comes to an end on August 10, 2022.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has announced Jagdeep Dhankhar as its vice-presidential candidate while opposition parties have announced Margaret Alva as their candidate.

Dhankhar, who is a lawyer by profession, entered into politics in 1989. He became the governor of West Bengal in July 2019 and has made headlines since then over his tumultuous relations with the Mamata Banerjee government. He tendered his resignation as the Governor of West Bengal on Sunday.

The vice president of India, which is the second-highest constitutional post in the country, is elected through an electoral college consisting of members of the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha.

Earlier, Biju Janta Dal (BJD) announced its support for NDA’s Vice Presidential candidate Jagdeep Dhankar in the upcoming election.

Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress said that the party will abstain from voting in the upcoming Vice Presidential poll.

In 2017, the NDA had nominated Venkaiah Naidu as its candidate for the vice-presidential election and he went on to become India’s 15th vice president. His term ends on August 10, 2022.

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BSP faces threat from party rebels

Most of the senior rebel leaders of the BSP are contesting on SP tickets now….reports Asian Lite News

Rebel leaders of the Bahujan Samaj Party are posing a major problem for the party in the last two phases of elections in Uttar Pradesh.

BSP president Mayawati has clearly instructed her party cadres to ‘teach the rebels a lesson and ensure their defeat’ but it is easier said than done.

Most of the senior rebel leaders of the BSP are contesting on SP tickets now.

Ambedkar Nagar , which is regarded as a BSP bastion, now has Lalji Varma, Ram Achal Rajbhar and Tribhuvan Dutt — all BSP rebels — contesting elections from the district, known as the birthplace of socialist Ram Manohar Lohia, on a Samajwadi Party (SP) symbol.

Lalji Varma, a Kurmi and five-time MLA, was the BSP’s legislature party leader in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly. Ram Achal Rajbhar, also a five-time MLA, is a former BSP state president and a key OBC face in the region. Tribhuvan Dutt is a Dalit, is a former two-time MLA and a former Lok Sabha MP.

The fourth SP candidate, Rakesh Pandey, is the father of sitting BSP MP from Ambedkar Nagar, Ritesh Pandey but he is contesting on a SP ticket.

The defection of these BSP leaders to SP has undoubtedly bolstered the prospects of Samajwadi Party in the district.

The SP hopes to challenge the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the cost of the BSP in Ambedkar Nagar, where four out of its five candidates are former BSP leaders.

Mayawati, at a recent rally, explained to voters why she had to ‘throw them out’ of the BSP. She accused the rebels of encouraging factionalism in the party.

In 2017, the BSP won three seats in Ambedkar Nagar — Katehari, Akbarpur and Jalalpur.

Another BSP rebel, who joined and quit the BJP, is Swami Prasad Maurya who is contesting the Fazilnagar seat in Kushinagar.

The BSP, and the BJP, are now working overtime to ensure the defeat of Maurya.

Swami Prasad Maurya, has undertaken a door-to-door campaign in the rural areas to rake up issues of caste census, stray cattle menace, lack of health and education facilities and unemployment among voters. He is deliberately avoiding indulging in caste politics.

“I was elected from Padrauna in Kushinagar district in the 2009 bypoll, 2012 and 2017 Assembly elections. The outsider tag (given) by rival parties will be rejected by the people. Along with the traditional support base of the Samajwadi Party, I am getting support from other communities as well. They know that like Padrauna, Fazilnagar will also become a developed constituency,” he says.

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SAD-BSP alliance pledge solar energy in manifesto

The manifesto promises Rs 5 lakh interest-free loan to every youth, especially women to start their own enterprise….reports Asian Lite News

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)-Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) alliance on Tuesday released election manifesto promising what it called “brave and path-breaking initiatives”, including a revolutionary shift to clean solar energy to ensure zero-bill electricity to every house and student cards of Rs 10 lakh each for quality education, anywhere.

The alliance promised Rs 10 lakh free annual health insurance for all Punjabis, Rs 2,000 per month to all women heads of ‘blue card’ families, 5 lakh houses and five marla plots each to homeless poor and hiking old-age pension to Rs 3,100 and shagun scheme of Rs 75,000.

The manifesto promises Rs 5 lakh interest-free loan to every youth, especially women to start their own enterprise.

Releasing the manifesto jointly, SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal said, “Our blueprint for taking Punjab and Punjabis into the brave new era makes a strong pitch for combining the much needed thrust on social welfare with path-breaking initiatives for sustained, inclusive and futuristic progress and development.”

“We will completely transform the lives of the people of our state in every sphere. We have prepared a practical road for revolutionising agriculture by a state-sponsored shift to the commercial exploitation of our farmers’ potential.”

The manifesto promised to encourage and promote the lucrative water-based farming which requires no fertilisers, insecticides or pesticides and saves 90 per cent water, said Badal at a press meet with BSP in-charge of Punjab affairs, Randhir Beniwal.

To open up professional avenues, the manifesto promises a series of measures. “The SAD-BJP government will start flying academies to train pilots, flight engineers and cabin crew on a cost-to-cost basis.”

On the political and social front, Badal and Beniwal said the alliance is committed to peace and communal harmony as fundamental condition for any progress.

Punjab will go to the polls for 117-member Assembly on February 20.

In the 2017 Punjab Assembly polls, the Congress won 77 seats, while the SAD-BJP alliance could win only 18 seats. The AAP emerged as the second-largest party with 20 seats.

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Mayawati to launch campaign with Agra rally on Feb 2

The announcement comes after opposition parties, as well as her own party members, have been questioning her absence from the campaign….reports Asian Lite News

Even before the Election Commission lifts the curbs on election campaigning, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati has announced that she will launch her party’s campaign for Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls with a rally from Agra on February 2.

“The BSP chief will address a public meeting in Agra while following the Covid guidelines announced by the Election Commission of India,” said Satish Chandra Mishra, BSP MP.

The announcement comes after opposition parties, as well as her own party members, have been questioning her absence from the campaign.

Agra district, which has a large chunk of Dalit voters, has been a BSP stronghold ever since Kanshi Ram founded the party in 1984.

The BSP chief is working to regain hold over Dalits who constitute the base vote of the party. The BJP had made a dent into this vote base in 2017.

“Riding on Dalit-Muslim alliance, the BSP has been able to bag maximum seats in Agra in the successive assembly elections. In the 2007 Assembly elections when the BSP formed the government, the party had won six of the nine seats in Agra district. In the 2012 polls when the Samajwadi Party wave swept the state, the BSP managed to maintain hold in Agra by winning six Assembly seats,” said a BSP functionary.

In the 2017 UP polls, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was able to make inroads into the BSP citadel by bagging all the nine Assembly seats in the district.

The BSP candidates were runners-up in the eight Assembly seats.

Along with consolidating its hold over the Dalit voters, the BSP is also working on backward-Muslim and forward community alliance formula for the 2022 Assembly election.

For the first phase of UP election to be held on 58 Assembly seats spread in 11 districts, including Agra, on February 10, the BSP has given tickets to 16 Muslim candidates, 18 OBC, 9 Dalits and 15 upper castes nominees.

While other political parties, including the BJP, the SP and the Congress continued with their election campaign after the slowdown in the second Covid wave in July last, the BSP chief did not address public meetings.

However, BSP national general secretary Satish Chandra Mishra addressed Brahmin conferences in all 75 districts of the state.

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BSP implodes in Uttar Pradesh

Dalits in Uttar Pradesh are an influential caste group Their population is around 21.6 per cent, which includes 66 Dalit sub castes. Seventeen of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in UP are reserved for Scheduled Castes…reports Amita Verma

 It was the Bahujan Samaj Party that brought them together and it is, again, the BSP that is slowly driving them away.

The parry itself is imploding.

After nearly two decades, Uttar Pradesh is likely to witness a fragmentation of Dalit votes that is bound to weaken the political base of the BSP.

With the announcement of election dates, Mayawati becomes the only leader who will guide her voters into election without addressing them even once.

The rallies addressed by BSP MP Satish Chandra Mishra have been aimed at bringing Brahmins into the BSP, rather than in keeping the Dalits together.

Dalits in Uttar Pradesh are an influential caste group Their population is around 21.6 per cent, which includes 66 Dalit sub castes. Seventeen of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in UP are reserved for Scheduled Castes.

Of these, the BJP won 14 in the 2019 general election, including the Hathras seat. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) won two and the Apna Dal one seat.

This proves that on its own, the BSP cannot get elected unless it has the support of other caste groups.

Since 1993, when late Kanshi Ram formed an alliance with Mulayam Singh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party and formed the first BSP government in a coalition, Dalits have been voting en bloc for BSP.

It was Mayawati who led the BSP to its first government with a majority in 2007 and in 2022, it is Mayawati’s unexplained inertia that had led to the dismantling of her own party and also her vote base.

Since 2012, whether BSP’s vote power has been in the decline and its oft-tested Dalit-Muslim card is no longer in play.

“It is only the Jatav community that remains loyal to the BSP while other sub-castes are searching for greener pastures. Dalits, in general, are disillusioned with Mayawati’s leadership since the BJP came to power in UP. Her statements are erratic and leave her voters confused about her relationship with the BJP. This political inconsistency that made Muslims think twice about supporting BSP. Dalit Muslims and Dalit, to a considerable extent, are shifting to the Samajwadi Party who seems better positioned to defat the ruling BJP,” said Israr Ahmad, a former BSP leader.

Muslims have also been upset after Mayawati came on to a stage at her party office last year, carrying a ‘trishul’ while a bunch of supporters chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’.

“This was the last thing we expected from the BSP president. If this is the new party posture, we might as well join the BJP,” said a former Muslim MLA of the party.

Mayawati has sacked leaders with a vengeance and the exodus of veterans like Sukhdev Rajbhar, Lalji Varma and Ram Achal Rajbhar has ensured that these leaders have taken Dalits away from the BSP in their respective areas of influence.

The BSP now lacks the presence of a senior Dalit leader and the party which had won 19 seats in 2017, is now left with just three MLAs.

Satish Chandra Mishra, the second tallest leader of the party, is the new face of the BSP, along with his wife and son, who have been addressing Brahmins.

The BSP leaders in Rajya Sabha, Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha now belong to upper castes.

Dalits, naturally, are wondering if this is the same party that swore its allegiance to Dalits.

A major factor, meanwhile, that is all set to divide Dalit votes, especially in west UP, is the emergence of the Bhim Army chief Chandra Shekhar.

Chandra Shekhar became a known face in the state after the Dalit-Thakur clash in Saharanpur in May 2017.

He has been relentlessly working at the grassroots level among Dalits – holding classes to educate Dalit children and protecting the welfare of his community members.

He has been visiting various areas where atrocities on Dalits have been reported and now enjoys a sizeable following among Dalit youth.

“We need a leader who responds and is accessible. Mayawati remains locked in her ivory tower and even during the Hathras incident, she did not step out. Chandra Shekhar is becoming increasingly acceptable because the BSP is losing its core ideology,” said Raj Narain Gautam, a young student who now works for Bhim Army.

Even as Mayawati’s presence recedes from the state’s political horizon, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav has been quick to step into the vacant space.

Akhilesh has formed the Baba Saheb Vahini and celebrated Dalit Diwali on Ambedkar’s birth anniversary. He has opened his door for leaders expelled from BSP and is ardently wooing non-Jatav Dalit leaders from various sub castes.



The SP is trying to extend its social alliance to add Dalits and Most Backward Castes in UP by forming alliances with smaller caste-based parties and organising caste and community conferences.

It would not be surprising if the SP finally eats into BSP’s vote base and get a slice of Dalit votes in these elections.

The BJP, on its part, has also worked on its Dalit outreach and even used the Buddhist circuit to appease Dalits. The party is focusing on castes like Pasi, Kori and Dhobi and if the party ensure representation of these sub castes in ticket distribution, it could grab a chunk of Dalit votes.

The Congress that seems to be making a renewed bid for power in Uttar Pradesh after three decades of exile, is also focussing on Dalits.

The Gandhis have rushed to areas where atrocities against Dalits have been reported.

Rahul and Priyanka were among the first to rush to Hathras, following the rape and murder of a Dalit girl in September 2020.

Priyanka also went to the home of Arun Valmiki, a Dalit who died in police custody, and even sent financial assistance to the family.

Priyanka, interestingly, has endeared herself to Dalit women.

“Look at her, she happily embraces us without grimacing. Have you ever seen a photograph of Mayawati embracing a Dalit woman?” asks Preeti Valmiki, now an applicant for a Congress ticket.

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