Has BSP become BJP's B Team? Lok Sabha Election Results expose Mayawati's role

Lok Sabha Election Results: The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), once a dominant force in Uttar Pradesh politics, has faced a significant setback in the recent Lok Sabha elections, failing to secure a single seat. The decision of BSP leader Mayawati to distance herself from the INDIA alliance and make abrupt changes in her party's strategy, including fielding her nephew Akash Anand mid-election, has raised eyebrows. Critics have repeatedly labelled the BSP as the BJP's 'B team,' and the latest election results seem to support this claim.

The Impact of Mayawati's Decisions

In Uttar Pradesh, the Samajwadi Party (SP) won 37 seats, while the BJP secured 33 seats. The INDIA alliance, of which SP is a part, won a total of 43 seats compared to the NDA's 36 seats. Analysis suggests that if Mayawati had joined the INDIA alliance, the BJP might have been limited to fewer than 20 seats. By contesting alone, the BSP not only failed to win any seats but also weakened the opposition, inadvertently aiding the BJP's success.

BSP's Dismal Performance

The BSP received only 9.39% of the vote share, a stark contrast to the 10 seats it won in 2019. This time, the BSP trailed behind even the Congress in terms of votes. Despite the emergence of new parties like Chandrashekhar Azad's Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram), which won one seat, the BSP could not make any significant impact. In response, Mayawati has criticised Muslim voters and hinted at not offering them tickets in future elections.

The Story of 16 Key Seats

There were 16 constituencies in Uttar Pradesh where the BJP or its allies won by a margin smaller than the number of votes secured by BSP candidates. If Mayawati had aligned with the INDIA alliance, the BJP's seat count could have been drastically reduced. However, it is also uncertain whether BSP's votes would have seamlessly transferred to the INDIA alliance.

Critical Constituencies Affected

Akbarpur Lok Sabha Seat

• Win-Loss Margin: 44,345
• BSP Votes: 73,140

Aligarh Lok Sabha Seat

• Win-Loss Margin: 15,647
• BSP Votes: 1,23,929

Amroha Lok Sabha Seat

• Win-Loss Margin: 28,670
• BSP Votes: 1,64,099

Bansgaon Lok Sabha Seat

• Win-Loss Margin: 3,150
• BSP Votes: 64,750

Bhadohi Lok Sabha Seat

• Win-Loss Margin: 44,072
• BSP Votes: 1,55,053

Bijnor Lok Sabha Seat

• Win-Loss Margin: 37,508
• BSP Votes: 2,18,986

Deoria Lok Sabha Seat

• Win-Loss Margin: 34,842
• BSP Votes: 45,564

Farrukhabad Lok Sabha Seat

• Win-Loss Margin: 2,678
• BSP Votes: 45,390

Fatehpur Sikri Lok Sabha Seat

• Win-Loss Margin: 43,405
• BSP Votes: 1,20,539

Hardoi Lok Sabha Seat

• Win-Loss Margin: 27,856
• BSP Votes: 1,22,629

Meerut Lok Sabha Seat

• Win-Loss Margin: 10,585
• BSP Votes: 87,025

Mirzapur Lok Sabha Seat

• Win-Loss Margin: 37,810
• BSP Votes: 1,44,446

Misrikh Lok Sabha Seat

• Win-Loss Margin: 33,406
• BSP Votes: 1,11,945

Phulpur Lok Sabha Seat

• Win-Loss Margin: 4,332
• BSP Votes: 82,686

Shahjahanpur Lok Sabha Seat

• Win-Loss Margin: 55,379
• BSP Votes: 91,710

Unnao Lok Sabha Seat

• Win-Loss Margin: 35,818
• BSP Votes: 72,527

Conclusion

The recent Lok Sabha election results have highlighted the critical role that the BSP played in the BJP's electoral success in Uttar Pradesh. By choosing to contest independently and not joining the INDIA alliance, Mayawati's party inadvertently assisted the BJP in securing several key seats. The future political landscape will depend on whether the BSP reassesses its strategy and alliances, potentially altering the dynamics of Uttar Pradesh politics in the next election cycle.