Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Before the Lok Sabha elections 2024, the battle of allegations and counter-allegations between the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) has already intensified. Currently 26 parties have joined the opposition alliance. Amidst all this, this fight in UP may reach a new turning point in the coming days. BSP supremo Mayawati can take some important decision.
India still expects ‘yes’ from Mayawati
In fact, from leaders of parties in India to NDA, all eyes are on Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). Because, SC votes in UP are around 22 percent. This vote was once considered the core vote of BSP supremo Mayawati. However, in the UP Assembly elections 2022, BSP got only about 12.5 percent votes, due to which only one MLA of BSP, which formed the government with full majority in the 2007 elections, could win. The vote percentage of BSP is continuously decreasing.
Mallikarjun Kharge entrusted the responsibility to the leaders
If we look at the election results, this vote has started shifting to SP along with BJP. But, Congress is also busy in garnering Dalit votes in the Lok Sabha elections 2024. It is being told that Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge is paying special focus to this, he has also discussed this strategy among the party leaders. Along with this, the opposition is making a strategy to unite completely to stop the fragmentation of the Dalit vote bank. For this it is necessary to have support of BSP.
BSP is very important for India
Senior journalist Tariq Saeed says that BSP is very important for INDIA. Because if BSP contests alone in the Lok Sabha elections, it will be able to get 5 to 7 percent votes. But the remaining 5 to 7 percent SC votes may go to BJP. There is a danger of India’s game getting spoiled due to this. However, BSP faces the biggest loss by contesting elections alone. BSP’s national party status is in danger.
BSP’s position is weakening election after election
BSP’s vote percentage is continuously falling. In the UP Assembly elections 2022, the party has got the least number of votes since 1993. This reduced to only 12.5 percent. Due to this, BSP has reached a very bad phase. There are 22 percent Dalits in UP. But, the party getting 12.5 percent votes is a clear indication that the party’s own voter base has also moved away from it, due to which only one MLA could win.
Mayawati’s political compulsion
Talking about Delhi MCD elections, the party got less than one percent votes. The graph of BSP is falling since 2012 UP Assembly elections. In 2017, BSP was reduced to only 19 seats with 22.24 percent votes. However, the vote percentage did not increase in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. But, the alliance with SP benefited. Then BSP was successful in winning 10 Lok Sabha seats. In such a situation, the political path ahead for BSP is very difficult. To save the status of a national party as well as to save the existence of the party, it is necessary to remain in the India Alliance, only then on the strength of the collective strength of the opposition it will be in a position to gain in the elections. Otherwise, there will be a crisis of representation from the Legislature to the Parliament.
Mallikarjun Kharge can contest elections from UP
Congress is trying to bring BSP together in UP. Several rounds of talks have taken place for this. It is said that BSP will join the India alliance after December. However, there has been no official confirmation of this. At the same time, the way Mayawati has taken a dig at BJP as well as Congress on the Women’s Reservation Bill, there is also a possibility that Mayawati may stick to the path of ‘Ekla Chalo’. However, anything can happen at any time in politics.
Meanwhile, there is also talk of fielding Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge as a Dalit face in UP if BSP does not join the alliance. It is being said that Mallikarjun Kharge can contest elections from the reserved seat of UP, Mohanlalganj, Ambedkar Nagar, Nagina or Etawah. Its possibilities are beginning to be explored. If he contests elections from UP, not only will Congress workers be active with full enthusiasm, but it will also help the party in getting Dalit voters to its side. The party is working on this. However, this has not been disclosed by Congress. But it is believed that the party is very serious on these possibilities.
Know what is the rule of the national party
The Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment Order, 1968) states that a political party can be recognized as a national party. If it wins 2 percent of the seats in the Lok Sabha from at least three different states, secures at least 6 percent of the votes polled in at least four or more states in the Lok Sabha or Assembly elections. Moreover, he wins at least four Lok Sabha seats. The party is recognized as a state party in four states. The Election Commission last amended the rules in 2016 to review national and state party statuses every 10 years instead of five.
Kanshi Ram founded BSP, know his journey from 14 April 1984
BSP was founded by Kanshi Ram on 14 April 1984. BSP had 14 members in the 13th Lok Sabha (1999-2004). This number was 17 in the 14th Lok Sabha (2004-2009) and 21 in the 15th Lok Sabha (2009-2014). Whereas in the 16th Lok Sabha (2014- 2019), BSP did not have a single MP. But, in the 17th Lok Sabha (2019), the SP alliance benefited and the party has 10 MPs. BSP is preparing to fight for Dalits, backward classes and minorities. Thanks to these, she is working on entering the election field again.
An attempt was made in UP assembly elections also
Even before the UP Assembly elections 2022, there was an attempt for an alliance between BSP and Congress. It is said that it was then decided that Congress would contest on 125 assembly seats and BSP would contest on the remaining 278 seats. This news got leaked and then such circumstances were created by the ruling party that BSP had to step back. After the elections, Rahul Gandhi had also publicly said that we wanted to contest the assembly elections in UP by keeping BSP in front, but it was not ready.
Report- Muhammad Sajid, Bareilly