In BJP loss, Mayawati sniffs an opportunity

LUCKNOW: The big BJP defeat in the UP bypolls seems to have given BSP chief Mayawati an opportunity to win over its estranged voters, who had supported the saffron party in the Lok Sabha polls.

Political pundits say the absence of BSP in the byelections should have given BJP a chance to once again win over this vote bank. But that failed to happen, raising BSP's hope to regain the lost share in 2017 assembly elec tions and project itself as the most important opponent of the Samajwadi Party .

In fact, soon after results were announced, Mayawati called the party's top leaders to her Lucknow residence. Sources said Mayawati discussed the results threadbare and devised a strategy for the future.

Speaking to TOI, Mayawati aide and BSP national general secretary Satish Chandra Mishra said that had the party contested the byelections, it would have won most seats. "We would now be preparing for the next assem bly elections with full force and ensure that we storm back to power," he said.

BSP national general secretary Swami Prasad Maurya said that by polls people had no choice but to choose between `goondagardi' (hooliganism) and `dehshatgardi' (terrorism). "People chose goondagardi because that affects a family while `dehshatgardi affects the whole society," he said. Another BSP leader pointed out that out of the 11 assembly seats which went to bypolls, BSP was second in six seats in 2012 assembly elections - Sirathu, Balha, Noida, Hamirpur, Bijnor and Rohaniya.

"It's now up to Mayawati how she plays her cards. In assembly elections, BSP would now rely on anti-incumbency of SP to bounce back," said political analyst, JP Shukla. He said that it will also depend on BJP as to how it plans its strategy for 2017 assembly elections.