BSP moves to woo traditional base in Maha, Haryana and Jharkhand

NEW DELHI: The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is putting a special focus on its traditional su pporters in Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand, to ensure that they don’t desert the party in the upcoming assembly polls.
“The biggest source of worry for the BSP is its decreasing vote share in different states. Moreover, there are new Ambedkarite parties which compete with the BSP in different states,” a person in the BSP said. “The challenge for the BSP, particularly in Maharashtra, is to retain its old base.”

The party, which has been passing through a tough time after its poll debacle in Uttar Pradesh, is going solo in the assembly polls in the three states.


In Maharashtra, it has deployed Rajya Sabha member Ashok Siddarth and old party hand Ram Acal Rajbhar to remain in touch with workers. “We have already started our preparation to contest all the 288 seats in the coming assembly polls on our own in Maharashtra,” BSP state unit president Suresh Sakhare told ET a few days ago.

The party is seeking to put up a good show in the assembly polls, particularly in the Vidarbha area, BSP insiders said. “Process for the selection of candidates for the 62 seats in the Vidarbha region is already on. The BSP has enjoyed a good support base in this region,” a person said.

Meanwhile, the BSP camp is upbeat following a report about the end of talks between the AIMIM and the Prakash Ambedkar-headed Vanchit Aghadi. “Now, it would not be an easy task for the Vanchit Aghadi to eye our support base in Maharashtra,” the person said.

In Haryana, BSP’s national general secretary and Rajya Sabha member, Satish Chandra Misra, has already started touring different areas, party insiders said. In the northern state, it has broken its alliance with the Dushayant Chautala-headed Jannayak Chautala Party.