Ex-BSP leaders aim to eat into Mayawati votebank

The various leaders who have left the Bahujan Samaj Party in the recent past are determined to make a dent in the BSP’s core vote bank.

While some have chosen to float their own outfit and are looking to forge an alliance with other political parties, others have joined the BJP. Chief among them is former BSP founder member R.K. Chaudhary, who has revived his own Bahujan Samaj Swabhiman Sangharsh Samiti (BS4).

Mr Chaudhary said his party will be contesting around 100 seats and he was preparing to join an alliance with Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal(U). It may be recalled that last month the Bihar chief minister and JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar had addressed a rally organized by Mr Chaudhary in Lucknow.

Mr R K Chaudhary, who belongs to the Pasi community that constitutes 16 per cent of the Dalit population, is confident of getting the support of the community for his candidates.

“I have worked for years to consolidate the Pasi voters and we have all realised that the BSP is straying from the ideology and movement started by late Kanshi Ram. We (Pasis) will now tread our own path with a national party,” he said.

Former BSP minister Daddu Prasad, who belongs to the Jatav community, said that his Bahujan Mukti Party (BMP) would challenge the BSP in the upcoming assembly elections in the state. Mr Prasad has tied up with Kanshi Ram’s sister Swarn Kaur, and brother Dalbara Singh.