Bahujan Samaj Party will contest all 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, Mayawati confidant S C Mishra said as he sought to dismiss speculation that the dalit outfit could ally with Congress in the 2014 contest.
“We have already decided most of our 80 candidates,” the Rajya Sabha MP said, adding there was no reason for BSP to seek an alliance when it could do “superbly” on its own.
The assertion will be bad news for Congress. With chips down, a section had begun to harbour hopes of defending its 21 seats with a helping hand from the dalit party. The anxiety sparked speculation that BSP and Congress could tie up, and that Mayawati and Mishra had met key Congress leaders.
The BSP’s claim means Congress will be without an ally in another big state after Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu where it did well in 2009 but has since slid. The party has not managed a tie-up with the YSR Congress which is expected to sweep coastal Andhra. Congress is staring at a blank in Tamil Nadu as well with DMK ruling out an alliance. BSP’s rebuff only adds to the party’s headache. Congress surprised itself with its 2009 tally which it will find difficult to fend in the face of antiincumbency.
BSP has been averse to pre-poll tie-ups since it contested the 1996 UP assembly elections with Congress.
Based on its experience, the party found that while dalit vote was “transferable”, the alliance partners failed to divert their votes to BSP. Thus, they found that pre-poll tie-ups only benefited the other party.
“We have already decided most of our 80 candidates,” the Rajya Sabha MP said, adding there was no reason for BSP to seek an alliance when it could do “superbly” on its own.
The assertion will be bad news for Congress. With chips down, a section had begun to harbour hopes of defending its 21 seats with a helping hand from the dalit party. The anxiety sparked speculation that BSP and Congress could tie up, and that Mayawati and Mishra had met key Congress leaders.
The BSP’s claim means Congress will be without an ally in another big state after Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu where it did well in 2009 but has since slid. The party has not managed a tie-up with the YSR Congress which is expected to sweep coastal Andhra. Congress is staring at a blank in Tamil Nadu as well with DMK ruling out an alliance. BSP’s rebuff only adds to the party’s headache. Congress surprised itself with its 2009 tally which it will find difficult to fend in the face of antiincumbency.
BSP has been averse to pre-poll tie-ups since it contested the 1996 UP assembly elections with Congress.
Based on its experience, the party found that while dalit vote was “transferable”, the alliance partners failed to divert their votes to BSP. Thus, they found that pre-poll tie-ups only benefited the other party.
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