Mayawati Criticizes SP’s 2019 Poll Alliance, Urges BSP Cadre to Reclaim Lost Ground

Uttar Pradesh — In a significant political development, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati has accused Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav of severing communication with BSP leaders, including herself, following the 2019 Lok Sabha election results in Uttar Pradesh. This claim was made in a 59-page appeal distributed to BSP members at the party’s national executive meeting in Lucknow on August 27, where Mayawati was re-elected as BSP president for the sixth consecutive term.

In her appeal, Mayawati revisited the tumultuous history of alliances with SP, beginning in 1993 when Kanshi Ram allied with Mulayam Singh Yadav. She recounted the breakdown of that alliance due to alleged atrocities under the SP-led government and the infamous 1995 Lucknow guest house incident. Highlighting her “bad alliance experience,” Mayawati accused SP of failing to uphold the values of the partnership, leading BSP to withdraw support and eventually distance itself from SP for years.

Focusing on the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Mayawati claimed Akhilesh Yadav persuaded her to join forces to counter the BJP, with the BSP contesting 38 seats and winning 10, while the SP won only five out of 37 seats. According to Mayawati, Akhilesh’s dissatisfaction with the results led to his refusal to communicate with BSP, prompting the party to part ways.

Mayawati’s appeal also targeted Akhilesh’s alliance with Congress for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, accusing him of misleading marginalized communities and claiming that SP’s tactics would not benefit them. She urged her supporters to remain vigilant against SP’s promises and warned of similar challenges ahead.

Mayawati’s renewed outreach to BSP members, her first in nearly a decade, comes as the party faces declining influence in Uttar Pradesh. With only one seat won in the 2022 Assembly polls and failing to secure any seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Mayawati’s message is seen as a strategic move to regain lost ground ahead of the 2027 UP Assembly elections. Party insiders suggest the renewed appeal aims to rebuild support among Dalits who have drifted towards SP and Congress.

Mayawati’s appeal also underscored the importance of uniting Dalits, OBCs, and tribals to form a strong political force capable of defending the Constitution, Ambedkar’s movement, and reservations from perceived threats posed by both the BJP-led NDA and Congress-led INDIA.

In her message, Mayawati took jabs at Congress and BJP, accusing them of undermining the Constitution and engaging in caste-based politics. She pointed out that while BJP and Congress have appointed Dalit individuals to symbolic positions such as President and Governor, neither has appointed a Dalit as Prime Minister. Mayawati further alleged that these parties would only appoint a Dalit PM if it suited their political needs, and that person would likely be a “yes man.”

She also criticized the SP-BJP relationship, accusing them of collaborating to erase the legacy of Dalit leaders by renaming institutions and monuments. Mayawati urged BSP members to remember past injustices, such as the Lucknow guest house incident, to garner sympathy and rally support for the party.

Mayawati’s appeal concluded with a warning against splinter groups that invoke Dalit icons to divide votes, cautioning supporters to be wary of leaders who she claims are encouraged by Congress and BJP to undermine BSP’s influence. The call to action seeks to fortify BSP’s standing as the true custodian of Dalit and Bahujan interests in the face of ongoing political challenges.