Mayawati to go solo in bypolls in a bid to regain lost ground
Mayawati’s decision has surprised political observers as she had taken a policy decision, after losing power in 2012, to not contest any by-poll and focus on Lok Sabha and assembly polls
Bahujan Samaj Party president Mayawati has started preparations for the 2022 assembly election by announcing that her party will contest the upcoming by-elections on 11 assembly seats that were vacated after the election of sitting MLAs to the Lok Sabha, a party leader said.
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati (PTI File Photo)
{{^htLoading}} {{/htLoading}}
Mayawati’s decision has surprised political observers as she had taken a policy decision, after losing power in 2012, to not contest any by-poll and focus on Lok Sabha and assembly polls.
{{^usCountry}}{{/usCountry}}
A senior party leader, who did not wish to be named, said: “The party has bagged 10 Lok Sabha seats, yet it failed to get the desired result. Mayawati has decided to contest the by-poll to maintain momentum among party cadre and to gear them up for 2022 assembly polls,” he said.
Political observer RK Gautam said, “To send a message to alliance partners Samajwadi Party and Rashtriya Lok Dal that she is a hard bargainer, Mayawati decided to contest the upcoming by-poll on 11 assembly seats.”
Confident that the BSP would not contest the assembly by-poll, the SP leaders were hopeful of BSP support on 11 seats.
{{^htLoading}} {{/htLoading}}
{{^usCountry}}
“BSP’s decision has upset the plans of SP. Its president Akhilesh Yadav announced that his party would also contest the by-poll on its own. But both leaders have kept the door open for future realignment. Before the by-poll, the duo might come to talking table,” Gautam said.
{{/usCountry}}
{{#usCountry}}
“BSP’s decision has upset the plans of SP. Its president Akhilesh Yadav announced that his party would also contest the by-poll on its own. But both leaders have kept the door open for future realignment. Before the by-poll, the duo might come to talking table,” Gautam said.
Rajesh Kumar Singh is Assistant Editor, Hindustan Times, at the political bureau in Lucknow. An Alumnus of Ramjas College, Delhi and the University of Delhi, he has covered politics in the Hindi heartland Uttar Pradesh and Bihar for three decades and has written extensively on Dalit and OBC politics. He travelled across Uttar Pradesh to cover the panchayat, assembly and Lok Sabha elections. Along with writing on development issues, governance and public policy has done crime reporting, including Maoist activities in Bihar as well as activities of gangsters in East Uttar Pradesh, Jungle Party gang active on UP- Bihar border, dacoit gangs in Bundelkhand region and Sand Mafia active in various districts of UP. Has done investigations and reporting exposing multi-crore NRHM scam in UP, Nutrition scam, Medicine supply scam, irregularities in the flood management projects, weapon smuggling and human trafficking on Indo- Nepal border. He highlighted the deaths of children due to encephalitis in the districts of East Uttar Pradesh; the central and state government took cognisance of the report to launch schemes to check deaths and improve the facilities in the health centres and hospitals. He also reported on the social issues in East Uttar Pradesh and Bundelkhand- migration, farming crisis, water crisis, plight of the deprived communities- Musahar, Vantongiyas, Sahariya and Kol communities. He covers state government departments. He also travels to write human-interest stories and in-depth stories from the ground in the Bundelkhand, Purvanchal, and Rohilkhand regions of Uttar Pradesh.
Get Latest News, breaking headlines, and top India News, and today real-time updates from across the nation. Stay informed on politics, government policies, crime, Today Weather, and major developments on Hindustan Times
Get Latest News, breaking headlines, and top India News, and today real-time updates from across the nation. Stay informed on politics, government policies, crime, Today Weather, and major developments on Hindustan Times
