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Maya’s call to unleash full force will turn the bypolls into a triangular contest
The party plans to approach the upcoming bypolls with a social engineering formula, under its tagline ‘Bahujan-Hitay and Bahujan-Sukhay’.
LUCKNOW: The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), which has generally been hesitant to field candidates in assembly and Lok Sabha by-elections, has decided to go full throttle in the upcoming by-elections, contesting all 10 assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh (dates yet to be announced) and turning the contest into a triangular one.
In a meeting of party leaders and office-bearers from all 80 districts held at the state unit office on Sunday, BSP chief Mayawati announced that the BSP will contest the by-election with full strength.
“The party will work hard in the by-election to regain its support base that shifted to the INDIA bloc and NDA in the 2024 Lok Sabha election,” she said, adding that the BSP would make the Supreme Court order on sub-classification of SC/ST and reservation in government jobs an issue in the bypoll to win back the Dalit support base.
The BSP failed to open its account in the parliamentary elections, with its vote share shrinking from 19.42% in the 2019 Lok Sabha election to 9.39% in the 2024 election.
Addressing party leaders and office-bearers, Mayawati said that the Election Commission was yet to announce the schedule for the by-election on 10 seats. However, activities had increased among political parties, especially the BJP, which had made the by-election a prestige issue. This has also heightened public interest in the by-election, she noted.
The BSP has also started finalising candidates for various seats. The party has decided to field a Brahmin candidate, Deepu Tiwari, from the Manjhawan seat in Bhadohi district, and a Dalit candidate, Shiv Baran Pasi, from the Phulpur assembly seat in Prayagraj district. The BSP is likely to field Prateek Pandey from the Katehri assembly seat in Ambedkar Nagar district. The BSP plans to approach the by-election with a social engineering formula, focusing on its core support base - Dalits.
Mayawati said the BSP was the party of the poor, exploited, and deprived. It did not run on donations from the rich and capitalists; the party leaders and workers contributed to run the party’s movement and election management. The Dalit community should remain alert on the reservation issue, as a conspiracy is being hatched to end reservation in government jobs, she said.
She further directed BSP leaders to strengthen the organisation and organise a membership drive across the state. Following the BSP chief’s directives, senior party leaders and coordinators will hold meetings in the 10 assembly constituencies. BSP National Coordinator Akash Anand, who is campaigning in election-bound states Haryana and Maharashtra, will also hold meetings in these 10 constituencies.
“The BSP has opposed the sub-classification within Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) by a seven-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court. In contrast, the BJP and Congress, which have been accused of conspiring to end reservation for SCs and STs in government jobs, are indecisive regarding the Supreme Court order. The BSP, however, has come out openly against the court order. BSP is an Ambedkarite party and a well-wisher of the Dalits,” she said.
Launching a scathing attack on the BJP government at the centre and in U.P, Mayawati said that to divert the attention of the people from poverty, unemployment, inflation, and backwardness, the BJP was engaging in divisive bulldozer politics and spreading religious frenzy. The new anti-conversion law, sub-classification of SCs and STs, and the concept of a creamy layer among Dalits and Tribals are attempts to divide society, she added.
“The BJP is denying a caste census and interfering in the functioning of mosques, madrasas, and Waqf properties. The government is ignoring the poor people who wish to live with dignity and seek employment. The people have lost faith in the policy and intentions of the government. Party leaders will need to win the support of the people by focusing on the ‘Bahujan-Hitay and Bahujan-Sukhay’ policy,” she said.
Earlier, in a post on the social media platform X, Mayawati said, “There is no truth in the statement by the national president of the Congress plarty, in which he credited Congress for reservations, stating that not Bhim Rao Ambedkar but Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi have given reservations to SCs and STs.”
The national president of Congress said that before disclosing the party’s stance on the sub-classification of SC and ST classes in the country, his party would consult NGOs, lawyers, and others, which indicates that Congress was in favor of sub-classification.
She further added that Congress had also spoken vaguely about the creamy layer. Despite having 99 MPs, Congress did not raise any objections in Parliament to nullify the Supreme Court’s decision. This party won these seats in the name of saving the Constitution and reservation, she said.
