E-Paper
BSP, AIMIM looking to make dent in INDIA bloc’s Muslim votes in Uttar Pradesh
Mayawati had recently said at a party meeting that the BSP will work on the Dalit-Muslim- OBC formula in the 2024 Lok Sabha election.
The move by the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) to field candidates of the community in Muslim-dominated Lok Sabha constituencies in Uttar Pradesh is likely to throw a spanner in the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Congress alliance plan to consolidate minority votes. Both the SP and the Congress are members of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc.
The development comes as no surprise for political observers as Mayawati had recently said at a party meeting that the BSP will work on the Dalit-Muslim- OBC formula in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. She directed the party coordinators to send candidates’ names after ensuring their winnability potential and loyalty. The BSP chief has repeatedly said her party will go solo in the election.
“In Muslim dominated seats in West UP, the party will work on the tested Muslim-Dalit formula. In 2019, the BSP bagged 10 Lok Sabha seats, a majority of them in the Muslim-dominated Rohilkhand region in West UP, including Saharanpur, Amroha, Nagina and Bijnor. The BSP also won the Ghazipur, Ambedkar Nagar, Jaunpur and Ghosi seats in East UP,” a party leader said.
The BSP has started screening influential Muslim candidates. The process has been initiated even as sitting BSP MP Afzal Ansari (Ghazipur), Amroha MP Danish Ali, Shah Alam alias Guddu Jamali and former MLA Imran Masood are seeking greener pastures. Shah Alam had stood third in the Azamgarh Lok Sabha bypoll in June 2022.
“The BSP is likely to give tickets to SP and Congress defectors,” the party leader said.
Muslims account for 19% of Uttar Pradesh’s population. Their voting behaviour is likely to define the outcome in around 24 Lok Sabha seats with a 20-50% Muslim population.
The BSP will release the names of candidates after the Election Commission announces the poll schedule.
To send a message to Muslims, the BSP will field Muslim candidates on maximum Lok Sabha seats in West and East U.P..
“We will accommodate strong Muslim and OBC candidates from the other parties who wish to contest on the elephant (BSP) symbol. Despite its defeat in the 2019 Lok Sabha and 2022 assembly election, the BSP continues its hold on Dalits, especially Jatavs, their traditional supporters. The swing of Muslim and OBC voters will add to our strength against NDA and INDIA bloc,” he said.
After the 2022 Uttar Pradesh assembly election, Mayawati had said the shift of Muslim votes to the rival Samajwadi Party was the main reason for the BSP’s dismal performance.
AIMIM, led by Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, is likely to field 20 Lok Sabha candidates in Uttar Pradesh. Its Uttar Pradesh president Shaukat Ali said, “The state unit has sent a proposal to national chief Asaduddin Owaisi. After the decision of central leadership, the party will name the candidates.”
The AIMIM failed to open its account in the 2022 in U.P. when it polled only 0.49% votes. Owaisi had launched Bhagidari Parivartan Morcha with Jan Adhikari Party led by Babu Singh Kushwaha and the Bharat Mukti Morcha led by Vaman Meshram to win the support of Muslim-OBC and Dalit voters.
With the AIMIM working to spread its base among Muslims in UP, it might cut into INDIA votes.
