Mayawati, who is moving forward on the policy of ‘Ekla Chalo’, is causing huge loss to BSP.

Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati has made her nephew Akash Anand her political successor to give young leadership to the party. Now except Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, only Akash Anand will handle the work of the organization in other states. 28-year-old Akash Anand, who has done MBA from Britain, is the son of Mayawati’s younger brother Anand Kumar. Mayawati made him the national convenor of the party in 2019. Since then there was talk of him becoming Mayawati’s successor.

Akash Anand had taken charge of the party in the recently concluded Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram and Telangana assembly elections. But could not create any special atmosphere in favor of BSP there. BSP, which was once the dominant political party in the country, is now trying to save its national identity. Chandrashekhar Ravan is also making his mark as a Dalit leader in Uttar Pradesh. Due to this, Mayawati has fielded her nephew to provide youth leadership in BSP.

When Kanshi Ram formed Bahujan Samaj Party on 14 April 1984. Then he would not have imagined even in his dreams that in future BSP would fall prey to dynasticism. To avoid familyism, Kanshi Ram did not marry. Seeing Mayawati’s talent, Kanshi Ram promoted her in politics and made her his successor. Because of Kanshi Ram, Mayawati was able to become the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh four times.

If Kanshi Ram had wanted, he could have become the Chief Minister himself. But he wanted to remain in the role of king maker. That’s why he promoted Mayawati. Today, the same Mayawati has pushed BSP on the path of nepotism by declaring her nephew as the successor of the party. At present BSP has become politically weak. Their traditional Dalit voters are also disintegrating. Anyway, Mayawati was looking for a young leader to face the adverse circumstances. But instead of trusting any outsider, he thought it better to make his nephew his successor.

The graph of BSP has fallen in the recently concluded assembly elections of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram. In Hindi belt states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, Bahujan Samaj Party had been making its strength felt as a third option. But this time in the assembly elections, BSP has been defeated. In the last assembly elections in Rajasthan, BSP had won 4 percent votes and 6 seats. But this time BSP is limited to only two seats with 1.82 percent votes. BSP has got only 721037 votes in Rajasthan Assembly elections. Last time in Madhya Pradesh, BSP had got two seats and 5.01 percent votes. Whereas in this election, BSP got 3.40 percent i.e. 14,77,202 votes but did not get even a single seat.

Similarly, last time in Chhattisgarh Assembly elections, BSP got 552313 i.e. 3.9 percent votes along with two seats. But in this election BSP did not get even a single seat. BSP has got only 319903 i.e. 2.05 percent votes. Even BSP’s account has not been opened in Telangana. There the party got 321074 i.e. 1.37 percent votes. Similarly, BSP has no name in Mizoram. In the Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections in 2022, BSP contested 53 seats but could not win even a single one. There the party got 14613 i.e. 0.35 percent votes. In the last Gujarat Assembly elections, BSP had contested on 101 seats. In which the deposits of party candidates on 100 seats were confiscated. There the party got only 158123 i.e. 0.5 percent votes. BSP has two MLAs in Uttarakhand and one MLA in Punjab.

The party could win only one seat in the 2022 assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. There BSP got only 12.88 percent votes. Whereas in the 2017 assembly elections, it got 19 seats and 22.31 percent votes. In the 2012 assembly elections, BSP got 25.91 percent votes with 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh. In the 2007 assembly elections, BSP formed the government on its own by winning 206 seats with 30.43 percent votes. In the 2002 elections, BSP got 98 seats and 23.6 percent votes. In the 1996 elections, it got 67 seats and 19.64 percent votes. In the 1993 elections, it got 67 seats and 11.12 percent votes, in the 1991 elections, it got 12 seats and 9.44 percent votes. In the 1989 elections, for the first time, BSP contested elections in Uttar Pradesh and got 13 seats and 9.41 percent votes.

If we analyze the above figures, it becomes clear that the support base of Bahujan Samaj Party is continuously weakening. If we look at the figures of Lok Sabha elections, in the 2019 elections, BSP got 10 seats and 3.67 percent votes in Uttar Pradesh. BSP’s account was also not opened in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. However, the party got 4.19 percent votes. In the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, BSP had won 20 seats in Uttar Pradesh and 21 seats in Madhya Pradesh and 6.56 percent votes. In the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, BSP won 19 seats from Uttar Pradesh and obtained 5.33 percent votes.

In the 1999 Lok Sabha elections, BSP won 14 seats from Uttar Pradesh and obtained 4.16 percent votes. In the 1998 Lok Sabha elections, BSP had won five seats and 4.67 percent votes. In the 1996 Lok Sabha elections, BSP had won 11 seats and 4.02 percent votes. In the 1991 Lok Sabha elections, BSP had won three seats and 1.61 percent votes. In the 1989 Lok Sabha elections, BSP contested the Lok Sabha elections for the first time and the party won four seats and got 2.07 percent votes.

In the last Lok Sabha elections, BSP had won 10 seats in Uttar Pradesh due to the agreement with Samajwadi Party. But after that, Mayawati ended the electoral alliance with SP and contested the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections in 2022 on the policy of ‘Ekla Chalo’. In 2022, in a state like Uttar Pradesh, where BSP had emerged as a force and has formed the government four times. It was limited to only one seat there.

During Kanshi Ram’s time, BSP had a huge influence in many states like Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh. Which is now starting to shrink. Many MPs and MLAs who win from BSP change parties and join other parties. Due to which BSP has started weakening. In the 2008 and 2018 Rajasthan Assembly elections, 6 MLAs each from BSP had won the elections. But both the times all the MLAs merged with Congress and held ministerial and other lucrative posts in the Gehlot government. Cadre was once the main base of the party. But today there is not even a nominal cadre left in the party. Most of the big posts in the party have been captured by turncoats. Mayawati neither wants to go with BJP nor join the India alliance. In such a situation, the policy of walking alone is proving suicidal for BSP.

-Ramesh Saraf Dhamora

(The author is an independent journalist recognized by the Government of Rajasthan. His articles are published in many newspapers of the country.)