BSP influences outcome in 233 seats

Lost in the euphoria of BJP's return to power in Uttar Pradesh, and Congress decimation in the five states that went to polls recently, is Bahujan Samaj Party's worst performance in UP. The party won just one seat, securing 13% vote share.

BSP came second in 18 seats and put up a fight in several seats. However, in 233 seats, BSP affected the outcome of the polls by securing more votes than the victory margin. In 137 seats which SP or allies lost, BSP played spoiler. Similarly, BJP or allies lost 91 seats by margins lesser than the votes BSP secured. The simple majority for forming a government in UP is 202.

BSP chief Mayawati claimed her party's defeat was the result of a 'consistent campaign' that it was BJP's 'B- team'. It 'created suspicion among Muslims and prompted it to vote en bloc for SP'. This prompted anti-BJP Hindu voters to vote for BJP to prevent SP from assuming power and facilitated BJP's win, she claimed. "The casteist media conspiracy, its doctored surveys and consistent negative publicity conveyed to the Muslim community and anti-BJP Hindu voters that BSP is BJP's B-team, which is why the party is not fighting with its full force. The truth is at variance with this. BSP's fight with BJP was also a battle of values and principles," Mayawati said in Lucknow on Friday.


"The Muslim community was with the BSP; but the entire vote shifted to SP. Seeing Muslims vote en bloc for SP, anti-BJP Hindus, barring Dalits from my own community, decided to vote for BJP as they feared a split in Hindu votes meant SP win and return of hooliganism and corruption. This is why, despite being upset with BJP's policies, they supported it," she claimed.