BSP dejected by poor show

The Bahujan Samaja Party did not open their accounts in the elections to the Karnataka legislative assembly, reports BR Srikanth.

Contrary to projections by psephologists, candidates of the Bahujan Samaja Party (BSP) did not open their accounts in the elections to the Karnataka legislative assembly. They finished second in a couple of seats but did not cut into the vote base of the Congress.

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The party, however, raised its vote share to 2.9 per cent from 1.7 per cent in 2004. The rise has been attributed to more seats contested by the party this time — all 224 seats as against 150 seats in the previous polls.

“We ought to have done better. The percentage of votes polled does not match our expectations. We will analyse the cause for not winning any seat in due course,” said P.G.R. Sindhia, national general secretary, BSP.

Senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah said a mere victory for BJP candidates in 29 of 51 seats reserved for SC/STs could not be put down to the presence of BSP candidates and their impact on his party voters.