Local election brings some fresh air for squeezed BSP

NEW DELHI: BSP won two mayorships out of 16 cities of Uttar Pradesh in contrast to SP drawing a blank, giving the impression that it was regaining confidence after the debacle in assembly elections.

The March assembly polls were a one-sided affair in which BJP swept aside both the rivals, with little to choose between BSP and SP in terms of resilience. What had stunned all was that BSP’s share of seats in the assembly plummeted dramatically in contrast to the past when it managed to save its honour even in defeats.

The two Mayoral wins would do little to revive the spirits of BSP workers but the party’s performance surprised because the wins came in western UP which was a Mayawati stronghold, but swept by BJP in the assembly polls. Usually, Aligarh and Meerut are watched for how Dalit and Muslim communities vote besides others.

It was after a long gap that BSP fought local body polls. The decision was aimed at reconnecting with sympathisers demoralised from the assembly defeat and to attempt to win back the social blocs lost to BJP. The idea was to keep the workers engaged with an objective in sight instead of waiting for the next big clash — 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

The BSP decision to contest local polls is significant for its future politics in the wake of BJP’s emergence as the supreme force in UP. A sustained perception of Mayawati’s weakening political muscle threatens to send its core votebase looking for options. But for political significance of the elections, there was little to choose between BSP and SP in terms of who has managed to emerge as the principal challenger to BJP.

The local polls are dominated by ruling parties and BJP fought seriously with chief minister Yogi Aditya Nath campaigning vigorously. In contrast, Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav kept away from canvassing.