BSP finds it tough to emerge a challenger

Rattled by the exodus of key leaders from its ranks, the Mayawati-led BSP is finding it tough to emerge as the principal challenger to the ruling Samajwadi Party in poll-bound UP.

BSP strategists are now worrying about sabotage within its ranks to the plan of Ms Mayawati wresting power in Lucknow.

Even while the BJP is apparently facing the heat on account of the party being portrayed anti-dalit by rivals, the BSP is sensing that the party is far from scripting the envious social engineering of 2007, which had propelled Ms Mayawati to power with absolute maj-ority in the state Assembly, which has a strength of 403.

“Ms Mayawati is well aware that the upper castes, who were key to her 2007 social engineering, have shifted loyalties to the BJP due to aggressive polarisation in western and eastern parts of the state. She is keen to get Muslims on board to strengthen her new social engineering around dalits and extremely backward castes. But the SP is benefiting from the polarisation, with Muslims apparently sticking with the Mulayam Singh Yadav-led outfit,” said a senior BSP functionary.

While pollsters are putting their money on a hung Assembly, BSP strategists are wary of the fact that in the coming months the Mayawati-led outfit could further get marginalised, with the gains being shared among the SP and BJP. “The voters who are sitting on the fence invariably throw their weight behind the party being seen coming to power in the state as had been the case in the 2007 and 2012 polls. If the BSP campaign does not gain steam in the coming months, Ms Mayawati may lose the 2017 plot to either the BJP or the SP,” added the BSP functionary.

Ms Mayawati has already lost two of her key aides, Mr Swami Prasad Mourya and Mr Brajesh Pathak, to the BJP, with sources saying that more leaders would shift loyalties in the coming months.

Much to the disadvantage of Ms Mayawati, sources in the BSP stated that the issue of the deteriorating law and order situations in UP was not connecting with the people in the state who in turn are more affected by the relentless polarisation being attempted by the saffron outfits in western UP, and the development agenda being pursued by both the SP and BJP.

“Ms Mayawati has been quite late to launch her campaign on August 21 from Agra in contrast to the SP and BJP whose campaigns are in full swing in the state,” added the BSP functionary.