Congress ‘quietly watches’ as BSP crumbles before polls

The Congress in Uttar Pradesh is eyeing political gains from the turbulence that has hit the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) following the exit of senior leaders like Swami Prasad Maurya and R.K. Chaudhary.

“We are not plunging to any conclusions. We are quietly watching the situation unfold. Some of our leaders are in touch with those who have quit the party and we may opt for an alliance with them”, said a senior UPCC leader on Saturday.

The Congress is hopeful that the prevailing crisis in the BSP could help it regain lost ground among dalits, especially non-jatavs, but the party is not showing any signs of eagerness at the moment.

What has made the Congress mood upbeat is also the fact that Swami Prasad Maurya has not uttered a word against the Congress, though he attacked the Samajwadi Party and the BJP at a meeting of his supporters on Friday.

Sources said the Congress was waiting for the situation in the anti-BSP camp to crystallise before moving further. With the BSP fortunes having taken a dip in the past few days and the Samajwadi Party facing intra-party bickering, the Congress is also preparing to roll out the red carpet for Muslims.

“Dalits are disillusioned with the BSP which has given up its ideology and has moved away from the Bahujan movement that late Kanshi Ran pursued with missionary zeal. Muslims are also feeling a sense of unease with the Samajwadi Party that has failed to rein in communal forces. The Congress, with his secular credentials, is bound to emerge as the perfect choice for both”, said UPCC general secretary Dujendra Tripathi.

Former UPCC president Rita Bahuguna Joshi said that the people of Uttar Pradesh were keenly watching the situation in SP and BSP and will not ignore the situation in the upcoming assembly elections.

In a first move, the party which had cancelled its Roza Iftar party on Friday, has now got its minority cell to host the event on Sunday. “The cancellation of the Roza Iftar was sending out wrong signals and, therefore, we decided that the minority cell should host the event”, said a party leader. The Congress, in UP, hopes to recreate the ‘golden triangle’ by getting back its original vote banks—Brahmins, Dalits and Muslims. The Congress also feels that the prevailing political situation will pave the way for a grand alliance in the state. “OBC outfits like the one that will be led by Swami Prasad Maurya and R K Chaudhary, along with JD(U), could join hands with the Congress and this will pave the way for our revival in UP too”, said the party leader.