Efforts to counter SP’s PDA: BSP starts increasing Muslim focus in party organisation

BSP boosts Muslim, OBC, and Dalit representation ahead of the 2027 UP polls, aiming to counter SP's appeal and strengthen its voter base.

With a view to countering Samajwadi Party’s PDA (Picchda, Dalit and Alpshanyak) pitch, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has starting increasing the representation of Muslims, Other Backward Class (OBC) along with Dalit communities in the run-up to the 2027 UP assembly polls.

Recently, BSP top brass appointed two coordinators each in eight assembly constituencies of Lucknow. (For Representation)

Recently, party’s top leadership appointed two coordinators each in eight assembly constituencies of the state capital. Notably, nearly 50% of the coordinators appointed are from the Muslim community. And one Muslim each has been made coordinators in all eight assembly constituencies.

“The BSP’s move to appoint Muslims to key positions in the party organisation is seen as an effort to increase the party’s appeal to the Muslim vote bank and counter the SP’s move to target their Dalit and Picchda votes,” said a senior party functionary.

“The party has been working on the same lines for the past several months. There is no new thing to ensure representation of Muslim community in the party organisation,” BSP state unit chief Vishwanath Pal said.

“The BSP is witnessing a significant influx of Muslim community members across the state. In numerous districts, hundreds of Muslim youth, seniors and women are enrolling in the party. Notably, there has been a surge in defections from the SP and the BJP to the BSP,” he claimed.

Pal has been actively campaigning in various districts, including Barabanki and Shravasti, and has successfully inducted many Muslims into the party. Another senior BSP functionary said the party had earlier formed the Pichhda Dalit Bhaichara Committee to reach out to the OBC community. He said the party is now making a concerted effort to reach out to Muslims.

“Behan ji (BSP national president Mayawati) had earlier directed to strengthen the party at the grassroots level. She had announced plans to reconstitute Bhaichara (brotherhood) committees to connect with Muslims and Brahmins along with Dalits and OBCs during the party meeting on September 16, 2024. In addition, she had asked to form Muslim and Brahmin brotherhood committees in each district to connect with people of these communities,” he said while explaining the party’s plan to regain its vote bank.

He further said the party has been actively engaging with Muslim intellectuals, clerics and scholars in Lucknow, with meetings being held under the leadership of Sarwar Malik, advisor to the party’s Lucknow unit, for quite some time.

The BSP’s efforts to increase the participation of OBC, Dalit, and Muslim communities in the party organisation are seen as a strategic move to strengthen its base in the state before the 2027 UP assembly polls following the party’s poor performance in recent assembly as well as parliamentary elections.

BSP has appointed the following coordinators for eight assembly constituencies of Lucknow:

BKT: Imamuddin and advocate Amit Gautam

Sarojini Nagar: Javed Siddiqui and Ajay Kirti

Lucknow East: Mohammad Anish and advocate Rameshwar Dayal

Lucknow West: Dr Ziaul Haq Khan and Sajjan Lal Gautam

Malihabad: Arshi Ahmad and Yashpal Verma

Lucknow Central: Kamrul Hasan and Rajesh Gautam

Lucknow Cantonment: Mohammad Haseeb and Devesh Kumar Gautam

Mohanlalganj: Asif Mohammad and Kanhaiya Lal Rawat