Mayawati missing in 2024 action

The Bahujan Samaj Party's (BSP’s) prospects in the Lok Sabha election 2024 seem uncertain following Mayawati’s decision to remove Akash Anand from his position as national coordinator. Anand, who was once considered her successor, has faced criticism for his aggressive language, leading to an FIR being lodged against him in Sitapur. 

This incident also implicated other BSP candidates and a rally organizer. Despite the legal implications, some politicians view such cases as a mark of distinction rather than a hindrance to their political careers. 

With Uttar Pradesh holding significant sway in national politics due to its 80 Lok Sabha seats, the absence of a robust campaign by the BSP and SP in the upcoming election phases underscores the challenges they face in countering the BJP’s dominance in the state and at the national level.

Mayawati going downhill

The political landscape of Uttar Pradesh was once dominated by the Samajwadi Party (SP) and BSP, each representing specific caste groups and having their core supporters. The SP relied on the Yadav community, which makes up around 9% of the state’s population and is recognized as Other Backward Classes (OBC). On the other hand, the BSP’s main support came from the Jatavs, a social group within the Dalits, who are classified as Scheduled Castes in the Indian constitution.

BSP chief Mayawati has served as the chief minister four times, with three brief stints and one full term from 2007 to 2012. The SP and BSP initially formed a coalition to govern the state in 1993 but went their separate ways in 1995. After a rivalry spanning nearly 25 years, they joined forces again during the 2019 national election to challenge the resurgent BJP, but their impact was limited.

In 2017, the BSP was said to have been hit the hardest by the previous year’s demonetisation drive by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. At the same time, the SP faced severe anti-incumbency.

In the 2022 state assembly election, the once-powerful BSP suffered a major setback, winning only one out of the 403 seats. Meanwhile, the SP performed reasonably well, securing 111 seats. The BJP and its allies emerged victorious with a comfortable majority of 273 seats, enabling them to form the government.

The BSP has recently made changes to its candidate lineup for the Amethi Lok Sabha seat. In the ninth list of candidates announced on Sunday, Ravi Prakash Maurya was initially declared as the party’s candidate. However, he has now been replaced by Nanhe Singh Chauhan. Prathmesh Mishra will be the party’s nominee for the Pratapgarh seat, and Ravi Prakash Kushwaha will contest on the party’s ticket from the Jhansi seat.

What is strange here is that Mayawati seems to have followed the SP nominations and picked candidates from the same caste that the Yadav party did in the respective seats.

The BSP appears to be in complete chaos.